Daphne: Sacred Laurel
by Lopaka Tanu
Summary: A parallel universe that chronicles the life of Felix Gaeta from his graduation at Pycon Academy to the fall of New Caprica. GaetaApollo Slash, Mpreg, AU.
1. Nessun Dorma

Title: Nessun Dorma

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 29259

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe

Summary: After an incident during his fourth year, Gaeta finds himself left without a posting and adrift among the colonies.

Author's Note: Gaeta never served on the Galactica.

Sitting at attention with the rest of his graduating class, newly minted Lieutenant Gaeta saluted his superior officers. So far, it had been a long and boring ceremony focusing too much on the religious aspect of their serving in the colonial military. Did they know the wondrous and truly heroic legacy they were becoming a part of? How often would they get the chance to say they knew such and such person before they became an icon? How long did old wind bags drone on before they petered out and would farting speed up the process?

Felix was pretty sure that the last one wasn't part of the ceremony, but he felt it should be there. Time honored tradition demanded humility of it's personnel. What was more humbling than self depreciating humor? He was sure that at least the mischievous looking senior ranking lieutenant at the end of the admiral's entourage would think so. The man had been shooting glances to someone behind Gaeta for the past half hour, making faces in an attempt to get one of his fellow graduating cadets to break the solemn silence.

He had a pretty good impression of who it might be, but didn't care to confirm it. If the other man was going to so much trouble just to get someone else in trouble, he should return the favor. When he was certain the admiral wasn't looking, Felix crossed his eyes, pushed up his nose, and puffed out his cheeks. Puckering his lips in what he knew was a pretty good impression of Admiral Negala talking, Felix mimed the admiral's actions.

It had the desired effect, as the lieutenant snorted with laughter, but covered it up with a cough.

Much to Felix's satisfaction, the admiral had shut up and was busy glaring at the reddening lieutenant.

Chuckles among the admiralty and their entourage made his cheeks flame further. He sent a glare at Felix, but he couldn't be brought to care.

Knowing he had won, Gaeta sat back in his chair and ignored the rest of the ceremony. He had seen it four times in his five year service at the academy. Having delayed his graduation by three years for officer training, Gaeta was hoping to get a position on a Battlestar. There were half a dozen spots opening up for his class and seven of them up for them. As second in his class, he knew he would get his choice among the five remaining positions.

He would have been top of the graduating class, but Commander Ianto had made it his personal duty to make sure Gaeta failed at least one course during fourth year command simulations. He was deemed too cold and calculating to be a good commander. A commander had to know when to trust his people to make the right decision. The fact he had saved most of his team hadn't made a difference in that exercise. He would have saved them all if Zak Adama wasn't such a frakking idiot.

Felix realized he was the only one still sitting due to his lack of attention and knew it would cost him later. Standing quickly, he adjusted his blue uniform. When Negala gave him a reproving glance, Felix bit back his need to puff out his cheeks. Cantankerous old fart probably had a sign on his ass that read keep away from open flames.

When the admiral had finished speaking, the cadets formed a single file row, Felix at the head. He put out his hand to receive the golden eagle rank insignia that made him a lieutenant and the two silver palm fronds that denoted him as a tactical officer. Had he been going on to pilot training, he would have received nothing more than his lieutenant's emblem. Three years more at the academy than most of his class and all he got were two stupid silver palms.

Forcing himself to smile at the admiral as he shook the man's hand, Gaeta cringed on the inside. The man was as disgusting physically as he was politically. The non-active admirals spent most of their days chasing the tails of young recruits and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Negala was the worst of the lot when not dragging his ass across the fleet for surprise inspections.

After the man moved on to the next cadet, Gaeta let himself relax inside his uniform. At least his ass wasn't so clenched anymore. Out of a nervous fear, he kept a tight leash on all bodily functions. While it was okay for an old admiral to rip one through the crowd, a young cadet with such a condition wasn't very popular. It was mere a practicality.

The next admiral in the line of superior officers that were there to congratulate them all stood in front of Gaeta, hand out expectantly. He was one that had pursued a couple of the female cadets, right out of the academy and in to civilian life.

With a haughty sniff, Gaeta ignored the man's hand in favor of the next admiral. He had been friends with a few of those cadets.

The admiral took the hint, giving Felix a glare that promised this wouldn't go unanswered. Moving on to the next cadet, he was met with a similar reaction.

Gaeta felt his spirits rise when by the third cadet, the admiral had learned his lesson and merely smiled repugnantly at them. It was gratifying to know these bastards no longer had a say in his future. When he got a posting on a battlestar, all he had to fear was the personal opinion of the XO and Commanding Officer. Some times there was an admiral, most times it was just a commander.

Speaking of which, the next person in line to congratulate them was the commander for the battlestar Pollox. She was one of the commanders looking for a new junior tactical officer. She was also a complete ass kisser when it came to Admiral Negala, thus Felix shook her hand only enough to keep her moving.

The fourth person was an admiral from Pycon Fleet Command. He was an active duty personnel and commanded the fourth fleet in combat situations. His third in chain of command was looking for a few good JTO's as well, three in fact. The Argos was a new Furies class battlestar, with an escort of five long-range tactical vessels. If he got appointed there, he would more than likely get command of one of the LTVs, and that would stall his career. LTVs were not jumping points for future commands, in fact, most people ended their career as the commanding officer of an LTV.

Therefore, he smiled prettily for the admiral, but prayed inside the man would keep going. He was relieved when the admiral chose the woman beside him to grasp hands with affectionately. She was definitely one of those chosen for the dead end LTV command positions. Served her right.

The fifth and final admiral was a woman many men feared. She made it obvious she had a low opinion of them from the get go. Admiral Cain was a hard assed, recently promoted officer that commanded the Pegasus. If Gaeta wanted to fast track his career, he would bow down and kiss her feet for the position she had open on her battlestar. Sadly, Gaeta liked his balls vice free. Unfortunately for him, Cain seemed to delight in his actions.

Pulling him close when their hands clasped, she grinned at him. Her breath smelled of sea salts, her uniform of military issue cleansers and well oiled leather. "If you tried that with me, I would have your head. As it is, if you are trying to impress me, consider yourself watched." Pushing him back, she released his hand and looked to the next person in line. Her expression at seeing the woman made Felix happy the other admirals hadn't liked him. Gripping the woman's hand, Cain enjoyed the wince the lieutenant made.

"I would be careful of her if I were you, she seems to have taken a liking to you."

Glancing quickly back to the waiting line of dignitaries, Gaeta found himself face to face with his choice in commanders. Putting out his hand hopefully, Gaeta smiled. "Commander Adama, sir, it's good to see you again."

Adama nodded at him distractedly. "How have you been, Cadet?"

"I'm a lieutenant now, sir." Holding up is rank pin, Gaeta smiled cheerfully for the commander. When he saw the Admiral still wasn't looking at him, he frowned. "Is something the matter?"

Giving Felix a distant smile, Adama patted him on the shoulder. "Nothing. Congratulations again, Cadet." Moving on, Adama shook the hand of the next person in line.

"It's lieutenant now..." Felix was stunned. For the past year he had been doing everything he could get the Commander to notice him. He thought he had been succeeding. So far, every communique with him had seemed positive. So what had happened? Gaeta saw the rest of the people in line were civilians. No longer feeling up to kissing their asses, he pulled himself from the line and walked off.

Frowning, Secretary of Education, Laura Roslin, waited her turn. He had seemed like a nice young man, if a little immature in his actions. Glancing down the line to the now amicably chatting Commander Adama, she wondered just what had transpired between them.

Gaeta was in his dorm room packing his bags when the word came down from the admiralty. He had known from the moment Adama ignored him that his posting to one of the battlestars would not be happening. There were only six available posts in the entire fleet for one with his qualifications and seven people applying for them. He hadn't bothered to try finding out their reasons, it didn't matter, the decision was made.

Zipping the seam on his bag, he gave one last look to the room that had been his home for the past five years with regret. So much time spent here, so much wasted effort. All his hopes of becoming an officer on a battlestar had been the only thing keeping him going at times. Without that, there was nothing keeping here.

He back handed the light switch, breaking the panel in turning off. Leaving the door open, he hefted his one bag over his shoulder. The halls were awash in the sounds and smells of parties being carried out. They were celebrating their victories, his defeat. Nothing new there.

As he stepped in to the night air, Felix tossed off the heavy weight that had been keeping him steady. Who knew where this new life would lead him. All he knew was that he had no place left here, they had made that abundantly clear in their orders.

On his way to the civilian transport pad, he stopped by the dumpster. Taking a bundle from his pack, he threw it in and slammed the lid.

The plan was simple, or so he had thought until he actually put it in to action. Life was far from easy as a newly minted civilian and things made little sense to him. Having prepared all his life to be a colonial officer, Gaeta found normal human activities were inordinately complicated. There was no structure in anything, people on the streets wandered aimlessly, ground transports never obeyed the laws, even the markets were only a step up from the primordial chaos that spawned the gods.

Another thing that bothered him, even in his small hovel of an apartment on the waterfront, was the human noise. So many people doing so many conflicting things, it was pure hell. The first thing he had done when getting the single room apartment was invest what little he had in sound proofing. It hadn't helped.

Gaeta longed for the rigid structure and strict discipline of the colonial fleet. Every morning he awoke at precisely the same time, just before his alarm went off. For the first week since his discharge, he had continued his daily ablutions out of habit. On the eighth day, he had forgotten to brush his hair. By the twelfth day had come, he had stubble. After two weeks, Gaeta stopped trying.

On the fifteenth day of his civilian life, Gaeta awoke to the sounds of explosions in the market place. It wasn't unexpected, he had trained for combat situations after all. One never knew when one was going to come under fire, they had to always be ready for an attack. He had taken his service piece out of the holster on his bed post and stealthily made his way to the front window.

In the market below his window, soldiers were trying to make an attempt on a building. However, the people across the street had other ideas. They had the soldiers out numbered and surrounded.

His first instinct was to open the window and start taking them out. From his position, he was the perfect back up. It would be quite simple with his marksman training, he knew he could do it before they had a chance to spot him. They were soldiers, marines from the looks of their uniforms. Once, it would have been his duty to help them.

Pulling down his blinds, Gaeta went back to bed.

Gaeta celebrated the end of his first thirty days as a civilian by getting a job. With a dress shirt he once wore under his dress uniform jacket, and a pair of regulation black slacks for formal occasions that weren't quite military, but still important, he applied at a local merchant's stall. From his window observations, he knew they had a security problem, which was bad because they did a lot of business.

Standing in line at the counter, he had his government papers in hand to prove he was qualified. He was third in line from the owners' table, waiting with the rest of the month's petitioners. Actually, he, much like them, were seeking work with the company. There was nothing special to it, nine out of ten were there looking for loading positions. The other one percent were looking to be hired on as guards.

Gaeta was the exception to both.

When the man in front of him was told to apply else where, he straightened his back and held out his official identification to be inspected. Eyes forward, he waited for their next orders. Eventually, the silence clued him in that something was wrong. Looking down at the man behind the table, he raised his eyebrows in question. "Is something wrong with my identification, sir?"

Swallowing, the portly man wiped at his chin. "Who sent you?"

"I do not understand your question. As you can clearly see I..." Reaching down, Gaeta was about to point to point at his official qualifications on the tiny booklet when he found himself at the business end of a gun. "Am a free agent."

"I can read, you dumb frak! It's what I'm readin I don't like!" The man leaned forward on the table, making it sway under his weight. Ignoring how close he had moved to his own guard's guns, the man narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here, Spartan?"

It took a minute for Gaeta to understand what the reference. Frowning, he shook his head. "I am no longer in the military."

"So I'm just supposed to believe you had nothing to do with that dust up a couple weeks ago?" Snickering, the man pursed his lips. His fingers twitched as he wished for a weapon of his own. "I suggest you take your little papers and get out of my establishment. I run a respectable place here and you are fouling up the air."

Seeing as no one there held any good will towards him, Gaeta took back his identification. "Very well. However, before I go, I just thought you should know that three of your people are, in fact, informants for the government. I'll leave it to you to find out who on your own." Smiling once, he swept his gaze over all the assembled people and walked out.

Let the bastard stew on that. In reality, he only knew of one, and suspected another. When the two were discovered, which he was sure would happen, the bastard would tear apart his business searching for the third.

Figuring this place had lost it's appeal, Gaeta planned his next jump. Tauron was a lost cause. Pycon was tempting, but after being burned by the fleet, he wasn't willing to risk running in to one of his former comrads. Libero was an out of the way corner of the system that held very little appeal to most travelers. The colonial military had only a small base there and left it to fend for itself most of the time.

He had studied the supply deliveries and found that a massive convoy went their twice a year to restock everything. It would be a good four months before the next one and news didn't travel fast out that direction. He might be able to get a government position on his current credentials without them checking too much in to why he 'quit' the military.

Decision made, he stalked up his building's steps and began to pack.

Tauron but a memory, Gaeta shivered while stepping off the ramp of the transport vessel Black Hag. On the forward hull was a black haired old woman with one eye that reminded Gaeta of Lieutenant Liefler from the academy. While she wasn't one eyed, she was still the worst kind of officer. Her ambition would get someone, may be her, killed one day. Probably very soon if her posting aboard the Guaditana was anything to go by.

She and two others from his class were serving as LTV commanders right now. The two weeks the Black Hag had been in transit, he had taken it upon himself to review the posting of his former fellows. In a surprise move, Commander Adama had gotten the cream of their class. He thought for sure that Cain would take that honor for herself. Nothing but the best had been her motto.

He couldn't really fault Lieutenant JG Hanlon. The man wasn't a bad officer, he just couldn't cut it in a tight situation. The fact he had passed officer training exercise was a mixture of luck and favoritism. Commander Ianto had kept him close.

Gaeta, on the other hand, had been Ianto's bitch. He could still recall the look of sheer hatred the man had given him when he ordered the ship to jump before all his pilots were aboard. That was too bad, the decision had been his and they were dead in the water. There was no way they could get back before the dummy cylons would have destroyed the ship. Had it been real, he would have gotten a commendation for saving his crew.

As it was, he failed the exercise.

Shaking off his revery along with the frost that had formed on his jacket, Gaeta hunkered down in the cheap clothes. Booking passage had taken the few quebits of currency he had 'borrowed' from the merchant his last night on Tauron. Felix figured the ox of a man owed him at least something for revealing his organization was compromised. Getting enough money to afford the coat had cost him something more precious.

Staring at the unsightly figures unloading the cargo from the hold, he felt naked without his service piece. It had cost him half a year's pay for it. Walking across the frozen surface of Libero, he didn't have a single regret about selling it.

Despite the cold air, Gaeta found it easier to breathe here. There were fewer people on Libero because of it's less than hospitable environment and remote location. He had a meeting with the magistrate of PortCity Harbor to determine if his application for a local police officer would be accepted. Over the wireless, the man had been abrupt. He didn't care for useless pleasantries and Felix found himself answering him much like he had his drill instructors. On the bright side, the man hadn't told him to do the universe a favor and jump out an air lock.

Seeing a passing man with an official look to him, Gaeta held up a hand to get his attention. When he had flagged the man down, he stood at attention. "I am sorry to bother you, sir, but can you direct me to the Magistrate's office?"

With a well practiced sneer, the man looked down upon Gaeta despite the fact he was smaller. "If I give you a quebit, will you go away?" Taking a handful of the small triangular coins from his pocket, he tossed them at Gaeta's feet, picked up his pace, and sped off away.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Gaeta quickly scooped them up and put them in his pockets. There was enough to at least get him a few freeze dried rations. With a little snow, he had some instant meals ready to eat. That settled one problem, but not his main one.

"All right, where exactly is the Magistrate hiding?" Figuring it was up to him, Gaeta began looking for any street signs. On the old worlds, they usually gave the location of a certain building on them. Market street in the city of Phoebos on Caprica, after two thousand years, was still the center of trade. If he could find one called Capital street, it would take him to the official's offices.

There was very little in the way of life at the space port. Only four ships were docked at the moment and two of those were dormant. In a way, this made Gaeta happy. His relatively few experiences with people outside of the military never ended well. Even his trips to the market, before he simply stopped going and had deliveries made, had made his jaw clench until he hurt. Comforting as it was, he still needed some people in order to make a living.

His wandering took him away from the space port towards what he could tell was the heart of down town Libero Prime, the former capital city. After the ratification of the articles of colonization, the capital had been changed to Deimos on the other side of the planet. Libero Prime now had a transient population of two-thousand people and a permanent of some twenty thousand. It were these facts and the lack of any major colonial military presence in the city that made him choose this as his destination.

The buildings had seen better times, but when the planet spent nine months out of the year covered in ice, keeping up facades was something of a luxury. Holding his coat closed over his body with his hands buried deep in his pockets, Gaeta scanned every building in sight. This would have been easier had he known what he was looking for.

Beneath his feet, the ground started to vibrate. Ice fell off buildings on either side of the street. Alarmed, he looked up in time to see a star liner coming down towards the port, lower than colonial regulations permitted. Star liners were cargo tugs that were banned for atmospheric use by city ordinances on most of the colonies for just this reason. Hands going quickly to his ears, Gaeta braced himself for the rush and roar of the massive ship's breaking thrusters activating.

He wasn't disappointed.

What was left of the ice on the buildings went down and a few windows even shattered as the massive vessel fired breaking thrusters. From what he could tell, they had cut it too damned close and were going to crash land. Either there was a problem, the pilot was drunk, or some asshole was trying to show off. What it amounted to; someone was going to get in trouble with the local constables. Constables meant the magistrate.

Turning on his heel, Gaeta ran back to the star port. If he waited long enough, a constable would come along to deal with the pilot of the star liner and he would be able to hitch a ride. What had taken him fifteen minutes to walk earlier was crossed in only two. Gaeta was amused by what a difference of having a goal made and how familiar it was.

When he reached the port, it was to find it in complete chaos. He had been correct about the star liner, the ship had slid off the landing pad, but was other wise undamaged. 'Showing off' it was. That meant someone was going to be arrested. The thought of seeing someone punished sent a thrill down his spine.

Tamping down on his euphoria, Gaeta slowed his pace down to a brisk walk. He reached the back of the crowd near the star liner's berth in time to see the loading platform lower. At the top of the platform stood two men in colonial military dress and a woman in an orange prisoner jumper. Lowering his head quickly, Gaeta avoided looking directly at them.

He backed away from the crowd, deciding it would be best to keep a low profile. Even as he moved away, the crowd rushed forward, shouting to know what was going on. Despite their noise, he could clearly understand the orders given by the Lieutenant to the people. He found himself wanting to respond to that voice, but it wasn't worth the risk.

Using his long practiced surveillance techniques, he watched the crowd shift as four men in black uniforms with gold symbols on their lapels came rushing in. They intercepted the lieutenants and their prisoner, taking the woman roughly by her bound hands. They tried to complain, but the apparent leader of the men held up a document. After a quick glance, the commanding lieutenant let them take the woman away.

Seeing his chance, Gaeta followed them at a distance far enough away that he could stop any time and pretend to be doing something else. Thankfully, once they had her, they weren't quite so quick to get back to the jail. When they rounded a corner, he picked up his pace to follow. He didn't get very far beyond it before he ran right in to the leader of the uniformed men.

Gaeta managed to keep his feet only out of years of practice. Being a natural klutz as a child gave him a good incentive to learn. As it was, the man in uniform grabbed him by the shoulders to steady them both, unnecessarily. Smiling for the man, Felix let his relief show. "Hello, I am new here. I was wondering, can you direct me to the Magistrate's office?"

Shackled to a desk waiting for the Magistrate to determine his fate was not how Gaeta planned their meeting. He hadn't technically done anything wrong and there were no official charges, but the man could still make trouble for him. One thing the Magistrate could do was exile him for being a public nuisance since he had no employment, no room, no ship, or any physical ties to the community. Another punishment were the work farms where the poor people went to get back on their feet, supposedly.

Apparently, Libero was strict on the homeless, something he hadn't known, but the constable was happy to inform him of. They justified it by saying someone without shelter could not survive the prolonged winter. While it made a sick logical sense, he understood all too well the real message behind it. If he angered the Magistrate, he would be sent to a 'rehabilitation camp' to 'help' him become a productive citizen 'for his own good'. Constable Herowen had practiced his speech often, Gaeta could tell from the quoting.

Uncomfortably shifting from side to side, he longed for a chair. He had been standing in the same place for the past four hours waiting for the Magistrate to come. Every time he asked one of the constables when he would arrive, they would smirk and say soon. After the third time, he had given up on any help from them.

Gaeta decided the first pay check he got from a job here, he would use it to get a seat on a passenger liner out of there. Even if he didn't get food for the trip, it would be worth the trouble of getting off Libero. It was no wonder people didn't come this way often. He should have at least guessed that something was wrong. After all, the rich liked secluded get aways for their vacations, that was Libero. What offended a rich person most? Poor people.

Just as he was about to risk cutting off circulation to his legs in an attempt to sit on his chains, the doors to the constabulary opened. A man who reminded him of the pig he'd liberated quebits from on Tauron came strolling through them, his arresting constable at his side. It wasn't a good sign the constable was smirking at him.

"You are Lieutenant Gaeta." The Magistrate glanced him up and down, taking in his physic with a disinterested air. Snorting, he cocked his head to the constable. "Get him to the transport before those morons from fleet command come looking for him."

Nodding, the constable walked over to Gaeta, the key to his shackles at the ready. He made a show of removing the anklets first. Glancing up at the surprised Gaeta, his smirk only grew. "You are lucky they had the currency, the Magistrate doesn't like deserters. Given your physical build and youth, hard labor would most likely have been the sentence."

"Deserter?" Then it came to him that the Magistrate had called him a Lieutenant. "I'm not with the Colonial Military any more. I resigned six weeks ago! I've done nothing wrong, you have no right to imprison me!"

"Be silent!" Smacking Gaeta on the ass, the constable shook his head. After he had unthreaded the chains from the eye hooks in the desk's side, he used the length of chain that had bound Gaeta's hands to his feet as a leash. When Gaeta refused to budge, he jerked on it hard. "Don't start with me, little boy. Warrant or no, I won't hesitate to give you a taste of Libero justice."

Reluctantly, Gaeta let the man lead him out of the constabulary and back on to the street. At the entrance, another constable met them with Gaeta's duffle strung over his shoulder. Gaeta knew nothing of great importance was in it. Other than his papers, all he carried were his clothes and those few quebits he owned. If he still had those, he would consider himself fortunate.

"Put it over his shoulder, he can carry it." The constable leading him pointed at Gaeta to signal where his bag went.

Gaeta was nearly strangled by how rough the man slung it over his bound arms and body. Before he could respond, the constable was dragging him forward again. After several hours in the constabulary, Gaeta had gotten used to the warmth. The bitter cold out side stung his eyes making them water, effectively blurring his vision. By the time his blinking had adjusted his eyes to the cold, the constable was slowing down.

They were at the star port and the Constable was leading him to a ship that hadn't been there earlier. He could tell from the shape it was a colonial Raptor. The coloring and emblem on the side made it abundantly clear what branch it belonged to. Gaeta began to wonder just what the hell was going on until he saw the man standing in the hatch of the shuttle looking at him expectantly. It was the man from the star liner.

He had been recognized.

Suddenly digging in his boots and jerking on his bonds, he pulled the constable almost off his feet. The man started to recover his balance when Gaeta jerked the chain back to him. Bringing up his foot in to the man's back, he sent the constable sprawling forward. Free of the constable, he turned to run. Whatever they wanted, they could do it without him. The frakking black ops division could go straight to the cylons for all he cared.

He had almost made it to the edge of the tarmac when a figure in a gray flight suit rammed in to him from the side. He rolled in to the fall, coming back up to his feet. Gaeta pulled up the chain with his hands, intending to use it as a whip if necessary. As the lieutenant raised a hand to show him he was unarmed, Gaeta took a step back. Black Ops didn't need a weapon to kill him, just to get close enough. "Don't come any closer, Lieutenant. I don't want to hurt you, but I will defend myself."

"Hold on a minute. No one is going to do anything to you." Keeping his actions slow, Lee tried to demonstrate for Felix that he was sincere. He smiled slowly. "I'm sorry, but saying you were a deserter was necessary to get you out. Your arrest was picked up on the wireless by my co-pilot. If we hadn't done something, you would be on your way to a forced labor camp now."

"Am I supposed to believe that bullshit? What are you really here for?" Making sure to keep the same amount of space between them, Gaeta searched for the other lieutenant. He hadn't seen the man any where, but he had to be around. In the distance, he could see the constable was starting to get up. If he didn't move soon, he would be seriously out numbered.

Taking advantage of Felix's distraction, Lee rushed forward. He knew the he would be hit by the chain as it came down, but it was an acceptable pain. When it came, his thoughts of tolerating the pain went out the window and any mercy he might have shown Gaeta went with it. Tackling the other man, Lee made sure Gaeta went down hard.

The wind knocked out of him, Gaeta's vision went dark for a moment as he gasped for air. For what felt like an eternity, he lay there gaping. His lungs burned and his ribs felt like they were broken. As he closed his eyes, he forced his body to relax and begin breathing again. The first breath hurt like hell and he let the world know by crying out.

Sitting up, Lee shook the dust from his hair. Seeing that Gaeta wasn't going to be moving for a while, he grinned. After a few leg and arm stretches, he knelt down beside the gasping man, picked him up by a leg and arm, then pulled him up over his shoulders. Standing with his burden, Lee's legs shook. "I have to get more time in the work out room!" Stumbling passed the constable, he ignored the man and went on to his Raptor.

Once at the Raptor, he dropped Gaeta on the flight deck and rolled him in to the ship. He turned and gave the constable a one fingered salute before walking up the ramp. Sealing the hatch, he gave Lieutenant Mobrey a thumbs up and grabbed his helmet. Lee barely had time to grab hold of the bulk head before the Raptor was shooting off in to the atmosphere.

Sitting up, Gaeta rubbed at his aching back and head. He would be bruised for the better part of two weeks, he knew from experience. Glaring over his shoulder at Lee, he twisted his back until the bones popped back in place. Now that he was no longer pinching a nerve, he could get in to a more comfortable position. He took the extra chair behind the pilot's seat so he could glare at Lee from a better position. "Where are we going?"

"Caprica. Now that Shyulera has been apprehended and turned over to the colonial authorities, our mission is complete." Checking the readouts on his instrument panel, Lee changed the settings for FTL use. After calculating the jump, he glanced over quickly to Gaeta. "I suggest you baton yourself down, we are about to make the jump."

Wincing as he moved sore muscles, Gaeta quickly slipped in to the seat's harness. It was nothing he hadn't done in basic training. The worst part was the post jump wave of disorientation. The first three times he had made one, they had a bucket handy. The fourth, he was the only one in his class not needing it, that was because he hadn't eaten anything that morning. Thus, he had earned the first passing grade in Commander Nokilosa's course.

Hearing the ship's power drain was the first signal the FTL drive was activating. Closing his eyes, Gaeta threw his head back against the head rest. The Raptor shuddered then he felt his body clench as the drive activated. A moment later his head exploded for an instant of pain then it was over. The FTL drive shut down and the ship was now cruising over what he assumed was Caprica.

Daring to open his eyes, he glanced out the forward window. He closed his eyes again the next instant, wishing he hadn't done it. Ahead of them, the planet was coming up to meet them at a rapid pace. They were not in atmosphere, yet, but that would soon change. Gripping his seat, he forced his sore chest to open and breathe deeply.

Chuckling, Lee watched Gaeta out of the corner of his eye. Keeping the main part of his attention focused on the instruments, he monitored the output on his controls. The moment they hit the atmosphere, he switched all his attention back to the controls. They were going in a little fast, but nothing he knew Mobrey couldn't handle. He was satisfied when the controls flashed green after a second and the Raptor leveled off.

"Course laid in. E.T.A. Athens Base, fifteen minutes." Flicking the navigational guidance over from centralized to planetary control, Mobrey let the ground personnel guide the ship in. It took a moment for the primitive on-board computer to recognize the new format and accept it. In that time, he had complete control of the Raptor. For that moment, he let it drop suddenly. Hearing Gaeta gasp, he chuckled. "Nothing to worry about, Lieutenant, just a little turbulence."

Instead of replying, Gaeta plotted his revenge. It would never come about, but to know he had a plan, just in case, made him feel loads better. There would be lots of pain, may be blood too, but not much. The man would scream a dozen times before Gaeta silenced him permanently. With that finished, he waited for the time to elapse and the Raptor to land.

After what felt like an eternity, Gaeta felt the breaking thrusters fire and the weight of gravity on them. The ship shuddered a little as it came down. When he felt the tell tale thump of the Raptor touching down, he released his breath slowly to stop his thumping heart. It wasn't much in the way of calming, but gave him something to do.

Shutting down the systems, Lee depressurized the Raptor and activated the hatch. When he had finished the post flight check, he clicked off the navigational console and unbuckled himself. Removing his helmet, he stood as far as the Raptor's ceiling would let him. Gesturing to the open hatch, he looked a Gaeta. "After you, Mr. Gaeta."

Slipping out of his own harness, Felix tentatively stood up and climbed out of the Raptor. He wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting, something to do with a security detail, but was surprised to find only a blonde waiting at the end of their ramp with a wide grin. She didn't look like any military police he had ever seen, more like a rocket jockey. As he walked down the flight deck of the Raptor, her eyes kept switching between him and Lee.

"So, this is the Daphne you kidnapped, eh, Apollo?" Grin growing wider, she inspected Gaeta's body as he jumped off the edge. A quick cock of her head to the side was followed by a sound of appreciation. "Wish I had a piece like that among my nuggets."

"Hands off, Lieutenant, the Captain here's got dibs." Patting Lee on the head, Mobrey slipped passed him to grin at Kara. Using her as a human shield, he avoided being hit by Lee's helmet.

As it was, Kara barely had enough room between Mobrey and the Raptor to dodge the flying helmet. "Hey! If you're going to involve me in killing this pain in the ass, at least let me get in a few cracks."

"Sure, why not." Cracking his knuckles, Lee walked towards Kara and Mobrey. "You hold him first."

"Oh, come on guys, what would be the fun in that?" Backing away as Kara turned on him, Mobrey held up his hands. Waving at them friendly, he grinned. "If you kill me, Lee, you won't get that promotion. You'll go to Tarterous on Geminon a lowly former Lieutenant."

Seeing that the three pilots were busy, Gaeta backed around the side of the Raptor slowly so as not to draw attention to himself. If he could just make it off the runway, he could fake his way off the base. Caprica wasn't much better than Pycon, but at least the fleet presence was minimal in comparison. He scanned the horizon for sign posts and sighed when he saw one. He really was at Athens Base, the largest pilot training grounds in the system. That was okay, it only made things a little harder, he could deal with that.

Holding Mobrey down by sitting on his chest while Lee plucked hairs from his stomach, Kara was having the time of her life. Where else would a man willingly kiss her ass, literally? After the tenth kiss, she sighed. He had completed the task and she started to climb off his chest. It was then she noticed something strange. "Hey, where'd your Daphne go?"

Tossing away the latest body hair, Apollo glanced over his shoulder. He had been about to say by the Raptor, but Gaeta was no where to be found. "Damn! He can't have gotten far."

"Apollo, if the Admiral finds out you've let a civilian loose on his base he is going to kick your sorry ass back to Pycon!" Climbing to her feet, Kara 'accidentally' stepped on Mobrey's gut. Putting a hand up to protect her eyes against the sun, she scanned the horizon. "He isn't on this side, he must have slipped around the Raptor."

"Then let's go find him!" Picking up his helmet, Lee ran around the Raptor and started searching. At first, all he saw was the usual base activity. Raptors and Vipers were getting ready for take off. Larger troop carriers were being hauled in to play for training exercises and one admiral's yacht was being prepped for launch. On a hunch, he searched the field around the yacht and saw a dark curly head among the ground techs. "He's trying to hide among the crew of the yacht!"

Running after Lee, Kara grinned. She did love a good chase. "We better catch him before someone catches on. If we don't, you're going to catch hell. Catch my drift?" Wagging her eyebrows at him as she matched his speed, she avoided his striking hand. "Come on, Lee, get a sense of humor!"

"He's..." Mobrey, three steps behind them, gasped, "just worried about..." He groaned in pain. "He's worried about the promotion!"

"Jeeze, Mobes, you seriously need to get in shape." Kara gave him a quick once over. "And I don't mean Pear either."

"That's real funny, Kara." Finally matching their speed as they neared the activity around the yacht, he grinned. "Found a man you haven't frakked yet?"

"Give it up, Mobrey, I told you, you aren't my type." She cuffed him upside the head and burst in to the crowd of ground personnel. "Excuse me, pardon me! Coming through!"

Lee was less courteous as he took the lead, he pushed people out of his way. He was ten feet away from Gaeta when a hose rose off the ground as it was attached to the yacht. He wasn't quick enough to jump it and tripped over it.

Hearing the pained grunt, Felix turned enough to glance over his shoulder. Upon noticing his tails, he started to move on. But seeing that Lee wasn't moving, he felt hesitant to leave him. He still had time to get out of there before the other two reached him if he left now. With a sigh, he rushed to Lee's side. Kneeling down, he reached out to check Lee's spine for damage. Finding nothing, he slid his fingers around Lee's neck to check for a pulse.

Through the pain of having the breath knocked out of him, Lee felt Felix's hand on his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boots and knew the owner instantly. He clutched at the hand desperately, pulling Gaeta's arm to his chest. Lee wasn't about to let him go again.

Seeing that Lee was just winded, Gaeta wrapped his free arm around Lee's chest and hoisted him back against himself. He knew he would regret this later, but right now, the other man needed his help. Easing Lee back against his chest, he unzipped the front of Lee's flight suit, undoing the collar. He gently massaged at Lee's ribs. "Just relax, Lieutenant, let your body do all the work."

Kara stopped far enough away to see that Lee wasn't being harmed, but still be out of range. The techs were giving her dirty looks, but she didn't care. It was amusing to see the stuffy Apollo being felt up on a busy tarmac. When Mobrey finally caught up to her, she put a hand over his chest to keep him back. "Watch."

For his part, Lee kept his eyes closed to ease the panic. The coincidental reversal of their rolls was bitter. Though, Gaeta had a devil's touch, he had to admit. Letting his head drop back on Felix's shoulder, Lee let himself enjoy the massaging of his ribs.

Gaeta frowned at Lee, but kept up his ministrations. Now that he had a better look at the man, he seemed familiar, but he couldn't place from where. It took Lee scrunching up his face in pain for Gaeta to remember. With a twist of Lee's nipple, he let the other man go.

"Ow! Hey!" Lee had to act fast to prevent himself from falling over when Gaeta released him. "What did you do that for?" Zipping up his flight suit, he rubbed at his now aching nipple.

"You were an ass!" Standing up, Gaeta started to walk away, only to run in to Kara and Mobrey. Putting up his fists, he took a defensive stance. "Out of my way."

Hands on hips, Kara cocked her head a bit, smile in place. "Well, usually people wait until they get to know him a little better before pronouncing judgement, but I got to say you hit the nail on the head." She slapped Mobrey in the gut when he started to say something. "Ignore him, as co-pilots, they are obligated to defend each other in public. I can't tell you the things Mobrey here has said about our little Adama."

"I'm right here, Kara, I don't understand why I have to keep reminding you of that fact." Limping up to them, Lee sent a glare at his friend. When the stiff looking Gaeta turned to him, he frowned. "What now?"

Gaeta watched him from under his brow. "You're an Adama?"

"Only by birth." Wincing as he rolled his shoulder, Lee didn't see it coming.

Thankfully for him, Kara did. She quickly wrestled the struggling Gaeta in to a shoulder lock from behind. "Whoa there! Hold on, we don't want anyone getting hurt now."

Lee was shocked by the sudden violent display. Keeping a safe distance even as Gaeta surged at him again, he jumped back. "What the frak is your problem?"

"Your family, that's my problem! You frakking Adama's think you own the colonies!" Gaeta tried once more to shrug himself free of Kara to no avail.

"So far I'm not hearing anything that we didn't already know." Kara grinned at Lee over Felix's shoulders. "Usually, people just call them asses and walk away. What's gotten under your skin, Daphne?"

"My name is... Was Lieutenant JTO Felix Gaeta!" At his words, Felix saw Lee's face go blank. When the other man nodded, Gaeta continued on. "I was top of my class four years running when a cadet named Zak Adama thought he would try something he wasn't authorized for during a training exorcise. He should have been washed out of basic training, but his old man pulled some strings. When I protested, the Commander failed me."

"And my father never forgave you, it's not in his nature." Lee lifted his chin quickly to signal Kara to let him go. He was prepared for Felix if he came at him again, but was glad when he didn't. Lowering his guard, he leaned on his good leg. "It's the reason I made a deal with the Magistrate on Libero for you. You wouldn't have been there if he hadn't done everything in his power to ruin your career."

Seeing Lee in a new light, Gaeta finally understood. He wasn't under arrest, it was guilt that brought him here. His arms ached where he had been held, and his chest still hurt from the fall on Libero. Sighing, he looked down at the ground for lack of a better place. "What now?"

Being the center of attention, Lee shrugged, then winced where his nipple rubbed against his uniform. "Uh, I think we head to the barracks. From there, we'll decided later."

Gaeta nodded. It would probably be the best offer he would get anywhere. Seeing that Lee was still in pain, Gaeta walked over to him. He took Lee's left arm and pulled it over his shoulders to help ease his weight off the bad leg. When Lee's arm clenched around his shoulder, bringing him closer to Lee's body, Gaeta felt something inside him clench in anticipation. He tamped down on it to examine later in favor of helping Lee walk.

Grinning, Kara clapped her hands together twice. "All right, grunts, show's over! Get your asses moving! This ship won't take care of itself!"

Slipping out of his jacket, Gaeta put it down on top of his duffle. How it had ended up here before they did, he wasn't sure. He was glad to find all his things were still in it, even the quebits the ass on Libero had thrown him. He pushed that memory from his mind, there were other more important things going on here.

Glancing over at Lee, he was glad they were the only ones in the room. The other man was stripping down and it was playing havoc with his attention. Every time he tried to think about those other important things, he kept getting drawn back to watching Lee. Eventually, he forced himself to look away. "So, uh, what are we going to do now?"

Sliding his shorts down, Lee winced. It was almost impossible to get out of clothes when injured. "I'm going to be grounded for the better part of a week because of this, so I don't know. To be truthful, after capturing Shyulera, I had planned some down time anyways. Then, when Mobrey heard about you over the wireless, I just acted. You set me back a thousand quebits, by the way. Bribes were cheaper when I was a kid." As his shorts slid off his body, he kicked them to the foot of his open locker.

"Zak is coming back in two days and I wanted to be as far away as possible." Snickering, Lee slid his fingers in the waist band of his boxers shorts before pushing them off his hips. "He and Kara go at it like cats and dogs every time he comes back from leave. Trust me, it isn't something you want to experience." Turning around, he grabbed a towel off his locker door and held it up. "Wanna catch a shower before we hit the road?" When he looked up, he saw Gaeta staring at him slack jawed and wide eyed. "Something wrong?"

Gaeta couldn't speak, so he shook his head no. Gods above, he would burn in Tarterous for this, but he stood up. His hands rose of their own accord to take the offered towel from Lee. Holding the towel close, he caressed it.

"Good, but I think you'll need to take your clothes off first, unless you have something to hide." Chuckling again, Lee grabbed his spare towel and wrapped it around his neck. "See you in the showers, Gaeta." With an innocent smile on his face, he strutted towards the showers and began to whistle.

Gaeta watched him until he turned the corner at the end of the barracks. Shuddering after Lee's ass disappeared from sight, he groaned. "May be this wasn't such a good idea." Stripping off his clothes quickly, he put them in the bag. It wasn't until he had his shirt off that he realized he still had on his dog tags. After five years, he simply forgot they were there, and it wasn't until now that he started to actually notice he had a body again.

Figuring there wasn't a point in taking them off, he tugged on them. If he removed them, he wouldn't feel like himself any more. They were an essential part of who he was, even though they no longer held the same meaning. His name was not Lieutenant JTO Felix Gaeta any more. He was once again regular old Felix Gaeta.

Grabbing his towel, being naked around Lee just didn't seem that big a deal any more. Gaeta walked to the end of the barracks and entered the shower. It was the smell and sound that did it. In the weeks since he had been discharged, he hadn't experienced a communal shower or the standard military issue cleanser. The surreal experience of it all caused him to stagger and clutch the tiled wall.

It really was over. His everything, his life as it had been, was gone. Nothing was ever going to be the same. Without his career, he didn't know who or what he was. When the tears came, he couldn't summon the strength to stop them. Instead, he slid down the tile to sit on the floor.

In alarm, Lee came over to kneel next to Gaeta. He put a hand on the man's shoulder in concern. "What's wrong? Are you injured?" Lee didn't expect to be enveloped in a tight hug, but allowed it to happen. Obviously, Felix needed someone to be there for him. What he was dealing with had become too much. Silently, he stroked Gaeta's back, holding him through the shudders that rocked his body.

Combing out his curling hair, Gaeta looked at himself in the mirror. For the first time since it happened, he started to feel like himself again. It wasn't much of a difference, but letting his hair grow felt like the right way to reflect the changes inside him. He knew from experience that in about six months the curls would be too much and he would have to get them trimmed. He looked forward to it.

Glancing to the right, he caught sight of Lee watching him in the mirror. A tentative smile graced his face for a moment before he let it go. Going back to his grooming, he rubbed at his chin. He would need to shave soon, the stubble was already visible. Seeing Lee moving, he looked at him.

Lee held up a pair of black boxer shorts. "They might be a little tight, but I noticed you didn't have any in your bag."

"What?" Sighing with disgust, Gaeta let go of his hair. It was hopeless until it got longer. "They must have kept them. Asses." He took the offered shorts and gave Lee the towel he had wrapped around his waist in return. Quickly, he pulled them on, snapping the waist line in place. They were tight in several areas, but would do. Scrubbing at his eyes, he yawned.

Grinning, Lee tossed the towel in to the clothes bin at the end of the wash room. It made it half in, hanging on the edge of the side. Shrugging, he turned back to see Gaeta yawn. Seeing Gaeta made him do it. Realizing how long it had been since he actually had sleep, he wrapped an arm around Gaeta's shoulders. "Come on, the rest of this can wait until tomorrow. I got a bunk that is singing to me with room for two."

As he was led by Lee, Gaeta felt a dopey grin start on his features. He felt exhausted, both physically and mentally, so sleep sounded nice. "What about the other bunks?"

"Oh, don't worry about them. They'll be gone until tonight, and by the time they get back, we will already have split." Waving it off, Lee dragged Gaeta towards the bunks.

"No, I meant isn't there an open bunk?" Yawning again, Gaeta trusted Lee to guide him.

"Well, Zak is the only one on leave, but I wouldn't let a rat sleep in that rat's nest." Snickering, Lee stopped when they reached his bunk. Using both hands, he pushed Gaeta down on to his bunk. "Just lay back and close your eyes, it'll be over before you know."

"How many people you told that to, Lieutenant?" Gaeta drowsily complied even as he spoke. Pulling the covers from beneath him, he slid his feet under them and laid down.

Lee let the remark slide as Gaeta started to fall asleep. There was a problem, though. "Scooch over!" He pushed Gaeta to the wall, then climbed in behind him. There wasn't enough for him to lay on his back, so he spooned up behind Gaeta. Out of habit, Lee slid his hand down the body of his bed mate and over his hip to lock with Gaeta's own. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

Holding his bag over his shoulder, Zak slipped in to the pilot's barracks. After a tropical depression had ruined the Ithycan weather, he had called in a transport and ended his leave early. It wasn't a total loss, he got a tan out of it. It was more than he could say for Lee, who seemed to constantly fluctuate between ghost and pale. Snickering, he took off his sun glasses in the darkened room.

If the lights were out, that meant Lee was back and in his bunk asleep. His older brother kept odd hours and raised holy hell if his sleep was interrupted. Since his holiday had ended in a bust, he might as well have some fun at his brother's expense. This required some stealth, so he took off his boots. Creeping along the bunks towards his brother's in socks, he prepared himself to jump on Lee.

What he saw when he came in sight of his brother's bunk made him grin. "So, the old dog wasn't neutered after all." Strolling over to his own bunk, Zak dropped off his stuff before veering over to Lee's. "Let's see who decided to fall for the ugly brother." Snickering, he picked up his flashlight and shown it over in Lee's bunk.

Lee was curled up pretty tight against the person, but there was no mistaking that arm. His brother was in bed with a man. Nothing innocent about the way his brother was holding him, or the fact they were naked, either. "Dad's going to love this." Sliding the light up the man's body, he stopped at the neck. The glint of a silver chain told him the man was at least in the military. Next, he tried to see if he recognized the face, but couldn't get a good look. All he could see were dark curls. "Brother likes tall, dark, and handsome. Strike that, dark and handsome, Lee and he are the same size."

Hearing something, Lee woke up from the wonderfully stimulating dream he had been having and looked around. Seeing it was just Zak, he flipped him off and snuggled back in the warmth of his bed mate. When Gaeta started to stir, he stroked his side and pressed his lips to his shoulder. "Shh, it's nothing." After kissing Gaeta's shoulder again, they both settled down and went back to sleep.

Zak looked up from his brother to see Mobrey entering the barracks. Gesturing at the men on the bunk, he raised an eyebrow. "How long has this been going on?"

"What?" Mobrey took in the bunk and his eyebrows disappeared in his hairline. "Damn, and I thought you moved fast. Guess it's genetic, which means I'll never learn it." Hanging his head sadly, he mimed at wiping away a tear. After a couple of huffy sniffs, he threw a thumb over his shoulder. "The gorgon saw your transport land, she wants to see you on the tarmac with the other nuggets."

"I'm not back five minutes and she is already riding my ass." Shaking his head in disgust, Zak opened his locker door, slamming it against the next one. No longer thinking about Lee, Zak jerked his shirt over his head and grabbed the uniform tank to put on. Nothing good could come of Kara sending Mobrey after him. After he switched out of his rec pants for the flight shorts, he grabbed the flight suit. "See you on the ground, Mobes." He slammed his locker shut and ran out of the room.

Waking up again, Lee frowned. This time he was more alert. Glancing about for the person who woke him, he glared at Mobrey.

Throwing up his hands, Mobrey shook his head. "Wasn't me that woke the all mighty Apollo from his slumber." Grinning, he nodded towards where Lee was wrapped around Gaeta. "Looks like you two got cozy fast."

"We were tired after the shower." Hearing Mobrey snickering, he grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. "Get your mind out of the drain. He's going through some tough times and unlike some people, I thought I would help him out."

"He's awake now." Rubbing at his eyes, Gaeta rolled over so that he faced Lee. Now that they shared the same pillow, they were less than two inches apart. Staring at Lee with a bored expression, he was sober for all of two seconds before snickering. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, actually. At least until some loud mouths came in." Shooting Mobrey a quick look, Lee pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. He was too warm and comfortable to get up just yet. Besides, it had only been a couple hours and his leg still ached. While Gaeta continued to watch him, Lee settled down to sleep. "Mobrey, be so kind as to leave now, unless you've come to climb in your own bunk for a change."

"Aw, you know me, always finding someone else to share a bed with." Truth was, it wasn't a lot of someone elses, it was the same person. Turning to go, he paused in the doorway as he remembered something. "Oh, Lee, Boomer and Helo told me to tell you that as the new kids, it is their place to try and out shine everyone else. I believe her exact words were 'quit being a dick and stealing our thunder'."

"Tell Boomer she can ride Helo's red rocket to Vega if she is so inclined for all I care. Now get out." When Lee heard Mobrey's chuckling disappear, he cleared his throat and tried to get comfortable. He was almost there, ready to sleep, but something was off. Reaching out, he felt around for what it was. "Gaeta, roll over."

"Lieutenant, although I am highly flattered, I don't think it would be appropriate." Gaeta was giggling as Lee forced him to roll over and face the wall again. Sighing as Lee molded their bodies together, Gaeta felt the weakness of fatigue come over his limbs. Despite the strange feeling of being in someone's arms, he found he rather enjoyed it. In a way, it was comforting, even if it only lasted until he woke up.

Lee waited until Gaeta was asleep again before he moved. Pressing his nose in to Gaeta's hair, he felt foolish. He inhaled the scent of the other man, luxuriating in having to share the same pillow. With a contented smile, he closed his eyes and followed Gaeta in to sleep.

Pulling on his pants, Felix looked forlornly at his shabby clothing. The coat had been torn in several places, including the shoulder, and he didn't have any way to repair it. His only good pair of pants were the dress bottoms he hadn't worn since his last day as a cadet. He was wearing those now, but his other clothes were a lost cause.

Coming up behind Felix, Lee pulled on his own shirt. It was one of the few civilian clothes he owned on base. Pulling out an old style flight jacket and a shirt, he reached around Gaeta and draped them over his chest. "Put these on. The shirt might be tight, but the jacket was my mother's uncle's, it should fit."

Taking the shirt and jacket, Gaeta stared at them. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it will upset my father when he finds out." Chucking the shirt he just had on, Lee pulled out another one. After he checked it for stains, he felt it reasonably clean and pulled it on. "You need help, I need a house boy, I am sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement." His laughter increased as Gaeta spun to stare at him. "Kidding. Truth be told, I feel like doing it. What my father did was wrong and if I don't fix it, no one will. Everyone else around here will bend down and kiss his ass in a moment's notice."

"I don't need you to fix this. This is my life, my fight, I can handle it." He started to foist the jacket and shirt back on to Lee, but the other man stilled his actions with a hand on his wrists.

"Work it out on your own time. If it makes you uncomfortable, think of it as a favor. I do you one now and you owe me later." Releasing Gaeta's arm, Lee shook his head. "And if that doesn't work for you, the rent boy job is still open. I have to warn you, though, the pay is lousy, the hours long, and you'd spend a lot of time on your knees... scrubbing floors." Putting on his sun glasses, Lee grabbed his duffle bag and walked to the door.

Despite an overwhelming urge to drop the clothes and run for his life, Felix put on the shirt.

Lee's car wasn't his so much as his mother's. Switching off the radio the moment Gaeta flicked it on, he shook his head. "We don't touch that. Caroline Adama has been known to kill people for less." Checking the mirrors as they rolled in to traffic, he was glad to be out in the open road again. While it wasn't the thrill of flying in space, it did have its own unique flare. "We're heading in to Caprica City, my mother's family owns a building there and I keep a flat on the top floor. You can crash there until you get back on your feet. Don't worry about my father's stigma, this is Caprica City. Mentioning my mother's name opens more doors."

"You seem pretty attached to her." Watching as Lee smoothly guided the vehicle down the road, he was almost hypnotized by the weaving through the traffic.

Lee was silent for a minute. "My mother didn't deserve to be inflicted with my father. Granting her the divorce was the best thing he ever gave her."

"I dunno, some could make a claim you and your brother might qualify." In the mirror, Gaeta watched Lee's reaction. The clenched jaw said his host didn't think that. "What's caused you to hate him so much?"

"Listen, if I let you turn on the radio, will you stop asking questions and enjoy the ride?" Lee didn't give him time to respond, choosing instead to turn on the radio. Fortunately for him, it was classical ambiance that didn't irritate or draw attention to itself and he could ignore it. He didn't want to think about anything involving his father at the moment, it was bad enough he was having to clean up another of his messes. Zak's messes.

Facing forward, Felix thought about what was going on in his life. What this meant for him. He wasn't sure that what Lee said was true, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. The car lurched and for the first time he noticed the grace in Lee's driving was gone. After another jerk, he was thrown against the center console, his hand slid to Lee's leg.

For a moment, he sat their frozen. His fingers were there accidentally, a little further and they would be on the inside of Lee's thigh. It wouldn't be so bad, not much more different than serving under the man. Squeezing Lee's leg once, he withdrew back to his side of the car. He noted, with some relief, that Lee's driving had smoothed out again.

Lee refused to think about how being touched by Gaeta made him feel. There was already enough tension between them without need to increase it with a sexual fling. He didn't have time for a relationship with someone who wasn't in the military. Again, the pang of guilt flared up in him. He had to actively remind himself just because his family was involved, it wasn't his fault. Clearing his throat, he turned the wheel to follow the off ramp in to the city.

His speed increased the moment he hit the back streets, heading away from the water front towards the far side of the city. There was something exciting about flying between the buildings at a heart racing speed. Minute adjustments were needed to avoid trash cans, pedestrians, and the occasional parked delivery truck. All these he handled with barely a twitch of an eye.

For his part, Gaeta was clutching the console and his door handle for dear life. So tense, even his ass clenched in to the seat, desperate to hang on. When he felt Lee's arms suddenly drop on to the console, he glanced over in horror.

Grabbing what had appeared to be an innocuous gear shift, Lee grinned at Gaeta. "Brace for landing!" Squeezing the safety latch, he threw the gear back and the car immediately decelerated to a crawl. Thrown forward in his belt, Lee shouted with glee.

As he was thrown forward, Felix swore he saw his life flash before his eyes. Even he was disgusted by how boring and dull it was. If he died as the result of the lunatic beside him, he would rip him a new one. Settling back in his seat made him wonder just what the hell had he been thinking when he decided to trust Lee. Surely there were safer ways to die.

Pulling the car over to the curb, Lee put it in park and turned off the engine. "Fun, hunh?" Grinning at Gaeta, he pulled off his belt. He reached in the back and pulled out his duffle. "We're here."

"Great. Just, uh, let my stomach catch up, we left it about a ten miles back."

Felix's first thought upon entering the apartment was that Lee never lived there. Every thing was pristine. There were very few pieces of furniture in the way of living room pieces. Most of the space was filled with museum stands and cases. Entire walls were covered in glass boxes with back lighting to highlight their contents. Covering every spare inch of these displays were colonial military memorabilia. Cylon war era to be precise.

Having watched Gaeta's reaction, Lee gestured around him. "Welcome to the casa de Adama. This was my parent's place before. When I was a kid this entire room was off limits. We had to use the side entrance with the service elevator. Now, I come through the front door every time. It's almost like I can feel him growling in anger at me when I do."

Chuckling, Lee walked over to a wall with a full length woven tapestry. Touching the glass, he giggled. "This was his favorite. It's the BattleStar Galactica, his first assignment. Mom had it commissioned for his fortieth birthday. He'd kill me just for breathing on it." Smearing his finger prints on the glass, he walked over to another case.

Gaeta's breath caught when he took in the entirety of the ship. It made his chest ache to see the ship he had dreamed of serving on. Closing his eyes, he turned away. When he opened them again, he saw Lee watching him. "What?"

"You really wanted to serve under him." When Gaeta cast his eyes downwards, Lee walked over to the display case. Wiping his finger prints off it, he stood back to admire it. "Be glad you never got to know the real Commander. He's a heartless bastard if you aren't his favorite. You could never do anything to please him and every attempt would just make it that much worse for you."

Lee walked away from the display case, heading towards the only exit from the main room. "Come on, I'll show you around." He waited until Gaeta followed him in to the rest of the apartment before closing the door. He locked it behind him, dropping the key in a wooden box beside it. "To deny temptation is to remain strong."

"Temptation to do what?" Gaeta watched him. There was just something about Lee, he wanted to know him a little better.

"Throw it all away, of course." Lee didn't think about it, he couldn't care less. It was just something that existed, like the sky or the stars, it was. Remembering what he meant to do, he glanced around the rest of the apartment. Most of the place was bare of furniture too, this was by his choice. "I threw out most of the old stuff, Zak had a dog for about three days, it tore the hell out of everything. We just never replaced it because I was in the service and he was going in."

"How long have you had this place all to yourself?" The second living room, now the main one, held only a wooden couch with a few throw pillows and a television screen. It made Felix long for the dorms. There was entirely too much room in this one room for his liking.

"Mom moved out shortly after the divorce, left this to me and Zak. He was fifteen, so I was seventeen. Nine years." Counting off on his fingers, he nodded. "Through the far door is a bathroom. It only has a sink and toilet, mom calls it the powder room." Taking Gaeta by the hand, he dragged him across the room from the locked door to a double set of doors. "Close your eyes and make a wish."

"I don't think..." he trailed off as Lee put his hands over Felix's eyes. Sighing, Felix added this to another quirk in Lee's personality. Strangers seemed to fascinate him, he enjoyed shocking them, being a 'bad boy' despite his overtly 'good boy' image, he was at heart longing for his father's love. Psychology courses involved in officer training were really handy.

As he was maneuvered in front of the door, Lee behind him, Gaeta reveled in the heat of Lee's hands on his skin. When Lee made him move to the side by guiding him head first, he nearly tripped. The absurdity of it took hold and he chuckled. "Any time you are ready, Lieutenant."

Leaning in close, Lee whispered in Gaeta's ear. "Call me Lee." He removed his hands from Gaeta's face and opened the double doors. "You can open your eyes now."

Gaeta did so. His breath catching in his throat, he could do nothing but stare. Through the double doors was a large kitchen on the side of grand. What had caught his attention, was beyond the dinette set and the island in the middle of the kitchen. The large bay window was ten panels wide. Through it, the setting sun back lit the entire city of New Caprica and the ocean beyond.

Without realizing it, Lee's hands had settled on Gaeta's hips. "The apartment was valued at half a million quebits before they saw the view. I shudder to think what the family pays in taxes on this place." His world seemed to narrow in on the two of them. Not thinking what he was doing, his hands slid around Gaeta's waist. Tugging the other man against him, he lowered his head to Felix's shoulder. "The bedrooms are off to the left. There are four of them, the exit to the freight elevator is at the end of the hall."

Nodding, Gaeta allowed himself to relax in to Lee's touch.

"You can stay here as long as you like." After what felt like hours, Lee released Gaeta and took a step back. Running a hand over his hair to fix it, he frowned. This wasn't a good situation for either of them. He wasn't ready, not after what had been happening in his life recently. Sticking his hands in his back pockets, he faced Gaeta again. "Um, what is it you are thinking of doing, work wise that is?"

Gaeta had to think about it for a moment. There were few things he wanted to do now. He had had a back up plan if the tactical officer training fell threw. Turning to Lee, he made up his mind. It couldn't hurt to tell him. "Well, this morning I was looking for a job in security or government, something to pay the bills while I decided what to do next. Now? My back up plans, in case my dream career fell through, was to study genetics at the fleet's R&D adjunct."

"Right." Lee felt immediate relief at being able to focus on something else. Moving towards the hall off the dinning area, Lee offered Gaeta a grin. "I'll have a talk with my mother and see what we can do about that. You should hear from her from some time in the next couple days. In the mean time, I'll order up some basics to be delivered."

Following Lee with his eyes, Gaeta frowned. "Where are you going? Aren't you going to finish showing me around?"

"I think you can do the rest. Pick a bedroom, any room." Waving a hand over his shoulder, Lee fled to the door. "Oh, the spare key is here hanging on a hook above the door. When you need to go out, take it with you, it contains a device on a ring that automatically lets you by pass the security. Call me if you lose it, my number is in the directory!" With that he fled out the door. He didn't relax until he was in the lift going down. It was a close one, but he made it out without doing something he would regret later.

Eyes wide in shock, Gaeta stood watching the door for a while yet. After the sun had gone beneath the horizon, he carried his bag down the hall. He scanned the first bedroom he came across. In it he found mens clothing folded neatly at the foot of the bed. A faint sheen of dust on them told him the room hadn't been used in a long time. Judging from the size of the clothes, he could tell it didn't belong to Lee.

Backing out of the room, he let the door close and checked the one across the hall. This one was slightly bigger, it had a view out over the city like the kitchen but not as grand. He could see entire towers come to life with lights through this one. Setting down his bag, he walked over to the bed under the window and sat down.

The room was clean, the bed wide enough for two people. The floor was hard wood, but the imported rugs kept one's feet off them. There was a vanity across the room from the bed, the fading rays of light reflecting in the mirror. The door was next to the vanity on the right. Next to the bed, on the far wall, was a bureau next to what he assumed was the closet door. On the other side of the bureau was another door. It was open and he could see white porcelain inside.

The room had everything he needed.

Glancing over to the bedside table across the bed from his seat, he caught the image of a picture under the lamp. Leaning over the bed, he turned on the lamp to get a better look. The picture was of a younger looking Lee and what Gaeta could correctly assume was a bald Zak. Upon closer inspection, he could make out that Zak had a braid off the side of his head in what had been Luxor fashion. Gaeta could recall several of the boys in his class wearing their hair like that when he was a eighteen. He thought it was silly then and he thought it now. Smiling, he turned off the light.

This was the room he wanted.

Standing up, Gaeta picked up his duffle and carried it to the bureau. It wasn't until he saw the state of his clothes that he decided it was better to wait until he had mended them to put them in the bureau. Opening the top drawer, he checked to see if it was empty. The sight of a drawer full of Lee's underwear made him pause. Feeling like an intruder, he started to close the drawer, but stopped half way.

At the bottom of the drawer, he could make out the glass of a picture frame. Pushing aside the black underwear, he forced his mind not to think about them, and stared at the picture. It was of the Galactica, but a newer one than in the 'shrine', he could tell because the starboard landing pod had been replaced. The plaque at the bottom read Forty Years: Lest we Forget, which meant it was six years old. By his calculation, that would have been about the time Lee started his military career, twenty being the earliest age they let enter the academy.

Putting the underwear back over the picture, he closed the drawer.

The knocking was coming from the freight entrance, so Gaeta assumed it was another delivery person. Since the night before, there had been twelve of them, each with something new. The kitchen was now over stocked and the living room finally looked lived in. Passing the other two rooms, one of which was converted in to a library/guest room, the other being the master suit, Gaeta readied to sign for the delivery.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a blonde woman in a suit with a shark's smile staring at him.

Pushing passed Gaeta, she closed the door behind her. She took in the appearance of Gaeta, unshaven in one of Lee's longer shirts and his boxer briefs, with an amused smile that bordered on frosty. "I must admit you are a pretty one, when cleaned up that is."

Gaeta glanced to a level beneath her eyes composing himself for dealing with her. "Madam Adama, I assume?"

"Deductive, good, I would hate to think he brought home another brainless piece of ass." Chuckling to herself, she glanced up. "Oh dear, wrong son. Lee always had poor taste in women too, but with the good grace never to bring them home. I should hope that would change with the sex of the partner this time."

Gaeta kept his response to himself. He could tell she was waiting for a response from him. She was testing him. Deciding he would play her game, he grinned. "I should hope so." At her delighted grin, he added, "if he takes a man as his lover, that is."

"So he hasn't frakked you yet." Patting his cheek, she turned and walked in the apartment. "Give it time, dear, he was all Gaeta this, Felix that last night when he called." Caroline paused at the open bedroom door and snorted. "I see you've made yourself right at home. You had better be worth the price and my time, my dear boy."

She finished her inspection of the apartment quickly by glancing in to the living room through the open kitchen doors. Setting down her satchel on the kitchen table, she removed her suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. "Mr. Gaeta, please come and sit." Opening her satchel, she pulled out a computer and a folder of papers.

Gaeta put on his business air, preparing himself for a brutal examination. He had faced down the tribunal during fourth year, he could handle one woman. Or so he thought until he saw the computer. The sight of such advanced technology threw him for a loop. He had never seen anything quite like it and it caused conflicting emotions in him.

Caroline caught his look and smirked. "Beautiful, isn't it. It's not quite as advanced as the one my parents had before the war, but it serves its purpose. Don't worry, I understand the military beats a kind of technophobia in to its people, so I will handle it for now." Lifting up the screen, she began clicking the keys to activate it.

Taking a seat as far away from the computer as possible, Gaeta composed himself again. That was three times she had unsettled him. This was getting sloppy. He took a moment to normalize his breathing before looking at her again. "Where do we begin?"

"How far did you get in your private studies with genetics? Your test scores from your pre-academy university were inconclusive. I need to know before I can make a recommendation." Bringing up the information on her computer, she quickly glanced over his profile.

"I, uh, was working on human genetics. My field of interest was human reproductive cells and replicating them." While she typed away, he summoned what he could remember. It was hard to think about it in human terms, ways to explain it without sounding like he was quoting a manual. "I was studying Dr. Shenkar's research, more specifically, making artificial human gametes using nano technology."

"Dr. Shenkar, leading theorist on human genetics including infertility, causes and solution. His work has since been banned by the Science Council of Ministers. His conclusions were considered too controversial for humanity given the level of advancements required in machines." She looked up at him over the monitor. "Pick another field, you're already in trouble with the government."

Gaeta stared at her. Was she kidding?

"I don't have all day, Mr. Gaeta. Either you pick a field or I leave and recommend to Lee that he throw you back where he found you." Her tone brokered no resistance. He would comply or she would do as she stated.

"Robotics." Grinning at her, he tried his own test of her sense of humor. When she merely raised an eyebrow, he cleared his throat and looked away again. "I was trained as a Tactical Officer for a battlestar. My skills include management, technological encoding, combat engineering, and a myriad of minor abilities necessary as third officer on a battlestar."

"I am well aware of your military training. My son has informed me of your skill in that arena." She was surprised by the angry look on his face, but kept her own expression inquisitive. "You have something to add to that?"

"Your son is incompetent. He has no business aboard a battlestar, let alone in the military. I said it then, I say it now. I am surprised you, an obviously intelligent person, would base your opinion upon a bitter malcontent." Standing from his seat, he stormed out of the kitchen. In the bedroom, he grabbed up his duffle. He knew it was too good to be true, the whole thing was humiliating. He had been willing to submit himself to her examination on good faith and she was just another nepotistic bitch.

Gaeta was throwing his newly patched clothes back in his duffle when Caroline appeared in the door way. Her expression was pissed, but he couldn't give a shit. After grabbing the last of his clothes from Lee's bureau, he shoved passed her. "Excuse me!"

Walking in to the kitchen, he headed for the clothes washer on the far side under the cabinets. His clothes were still wet, so he stuck them in a plastic bag. Tying it up, he shoved it in the duffle. When he pulled the clothes out of the dryer, he pulled on a pair of pants. He would worry about finishing up his clothes in the elevator. After he stuffed the rest in his bag, he tightened the draw string and buckled the flap. Shouldering it, he marched to the door and slipped his boots on.

As he opened the door, he turned to send another glare at Caroline. "I think I understand now why your husband never spent any time at home." With a resounding slam, he closed the door and marched over to the freight elevator. He slid the protective grates down on the lift and hit the down button. As it went down, the door to the apartment opened, but he turned his back on it. If he had to look at her one last time, he would likely get violent.

Caroline Adama was worse than her ex-husband. At least he hadn't done anything except ruin his career. Caroline Adama had come down from her mighty perch and called in to question everything he was. He didn't have to take that from anyone, let alone some bitter old hag. By the time the lift hit the bottom, he was shaking and close to tears. Fisting his duffle strap, he stepped out in to the back lobby of the building and in to the early morning. The lift went back up as he let the door to the lobby close behind him.

Waiting on the side walk was a man in a white uniform, searching the building. Seeing Gaeta, he started towards him, but stopped when Gaeta took an attack posture.

"Stay away from me or I will hurt you." Gaeta was in no mood to deal with some frakking Adama lackey, which this man was given his uniform and the large automobile waiting at the curb. Circling around the man to keep a safe distance between them, Gaeta made sure to keep his attention around him just in case there was another one. The bitch up stairs probably called him and warned him to hold Felix. Well, this was one demand she wouldn't get taken care of.

When he was on the side walk, Gaeta tossed aside any pretense of attacking and made a run for it. He was half a block away when the guard decided to act. Putting all his strength in his lope, Gaeta picked up to his top speed. He knew he could go faster if he dropped the bag, but it held everything he needed to survive, including a couple weeks of supplies. On instinct, he clutched the bag to use it as a weapon if necessary.

Dashing across four lanes of traffic, Gaeta saw his chance. Just down the road was a large gathering that began under a sign that said Riverwalk Market. It would be the perfect place to disappear.

Lee was in the middle of doing a leg curl with his sore leg when Mobrey entered the gym. Lowering his leg at the haggard expression on his friend's face, Lee sat up. "What happened?"

"It's Gaeta." Pushing Lee back down as the man tried to stand up, he shook his head. "Your mom tried her old routine on him. She said he exploded when she said something about his career and he just took off."

"Where is he?" He shoved off Mobrey's hand when he tried to keep Lee sitting. "I said, where is he?"

"We don't know. Her driver tried to catch up to him, but a car and he panicked..." Shaking his head, Mobrey let his hands drop to his side. "The driver said couldn't follow him in time to catch up. By the time your mother got there, he was long gone. She's having a melt down, man. I wouldn't be surprised if she even called the Commander."

"Frakking damn it all to hell!" Standing up from the mat, he limped his way to the handset. Picking it up, he waited for the comm officer to respond. "Patch me through to the Adama residence in Memphis Towers." Waiting for his mother to pick up, he angrily clutched the handset. By the time someone did answer, it was cracking in his grip. "Aunt Morla? Where is my mother? I don't give a frak, put her on the extension!" Lee stared at the handset in anger when the line disconnected.

"Lee, forget it. It's over." Clutching his friend's shoulder, Mobrey tried to calm him. When he was eventually rebuffed, he continued to stand beside Lee. He knew the other guy had started to form a connection with Gaeta and didn't want his friend to hurt. Not again.

Dropping the handset, Lee limped from the gym. He was no longer interested.

Clutching his coat closer about him, Gaeta prepared to climb out of the car and in to the rainy night. Before he did, he glanced over his shoulder again at the man who had given him a lift. "Thank you, sir, I'm not sure if I can ever repay you, but consider me in your debt."

"Not at all." Blowing out a puff of smoke, Baltar grinned. "It was my pleasure. It was interesting to meet someone else who had studied Dr. Shenkar's work in bioengineering. If only we had been alive fifty years ago, imagine what we could have accomplished."

"I know what we could have accomplished, Dr. Baltar, and frankly, it concerns me. But that will have to wait until another time." Clutching the card in the palm of his hand, Gaeta glanced down at it. On it was written a personal recommendation from the Doctor for him. It might be just another business card, or it could be a job he could be proud of. "When I get settled, Doctor, I will give you a buzz and we can discuss this further if you like."

"Of course." Watching as Gaeta climbed out of the car, he sighed. The door closed and he watched Gaeta run across the parking lot to duck under the awning of the homeless shelter. "If only you were born a woman, my dear, what a couple we would have made. Then again, I suppose it's a good thing you were born a man. I don't think I could have respected someone I slept with quite so much." Putting his car in gear, he drove it across the parking lot and away from the shelter.

Driving along the road back towards Caprica City, Gaius hummed along to a song he had heard earlier in his head. It was probably some pop trash, but right now it seemed appropriate and his brain wouldn't let him forget it. There was only way to get over not getting laid, that was getting laid. As if in answer to his prayers, he saw a woman standing by the road, her hand up and her clothes soaked through. Looking upwards as he pulled over, he thanked his lucky stars. "Need a lift, my dear?"

Blinking away the rain drops, the blonde smiled. "Thank you, I would like that." It took her a second to figure out how to open the car door before climbing in. Folding her long body in the vehicle, she closed the door and turned pouty lips on him. Leaning across the console as he swallowed, she grinned. "Are you alive?"

It had been three weeks. Three weeks since his life had been turned on end again. Lee felt his heart beating, but little else.

His mother had tried several times to contact him, but he had ignored her each try. Even the Commander had sent him a message, but he burned it without even glancing at it. There wasn't a point, he knew what it would say. He had defied the old man once more, lots of disappointment, call your mother.

Frak them.

That's why, when he saw Kara standing with a big grin on her face on the tarmac after his first mission since Gaeta, that he almost told her frak off. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her shenanigans. As it was, he told Mobrey to do it for him. Climbing out of the Raptor, he tried to avoid Kara, but she was like a dog with a bone and ran up to him. When it looked like she wasn't going to be deterred, he looked at her in askance.

Holding up a slip of paper between her index finger and thumb, she grinned. "How much do you absolutely want to marry me and have my babies?" At his glare, she rolled her eyes. "We found him!" She didn't get passed found before he had snatched the paper from her hand.

Unfolding it, Lee read the contents of the message three times before it sank in. Gaeta was alive. He was working at..."the Apollo Medical Center in Delphi City? You have got to be frakking kidding me."

"Nope!" Chuckling, she wrapped an arm around Lee's shoulder. "So, Fare Apollo, shall you continue to chase your Daphne or let him surrender to his fate?"

"Don't you have a group of pilots whose asses you need to bust?" Grinning despite his words, Apollo picked up his pace to the barracks. He had a car to catch.

Walking in to the Oncology wing, Lee began to scan for Gaeta. He had been told the man had a job here as a lab assistant for the past two weeks and could be seen collecting samples regularly from the nurses. They would meet him in the corridors and he would take it back to be examined by the lab techs. It wasn't much of a job, from what he gathered, but it paid better than most jobs.

There was also the added bonus of being around the people Gaeta wanted to study with. That had almost stopped him from coming here. If Gaeta was happy, he wanted him to remain so. It would ease a lot of the burden of guilt he felt. He would simply turn around and go away if Gaeta seemed content in his work.

That flew out the window the moment he rounded a corner and saw Gaeta bent over tying his shoe, ass in the air. What caught his attention were the black boxer briefs sticking out of the top of the green scrubs. Smirking, he sidled up behind Gaeta, keeping an eye on the man's ass. "Excuse me, but I'm missing an entire drawer full of black underwear, do you know of where I might find them?"

Freezing, Gaeta slowly straightened up. Turning around, he stared at Lee in shock. "Lieutenant, what can I do to help you?"

Realizing he was still in is flight uniform, Lee unzipped the top of it. He didn't miss the way Felix's eyes followed the zipper. "Yeah, I'm looking for a runaway drawer of underwear. Seems they went missing about three weeks ago and haven't bothered to check in."

"Well, have you filed a missing underwear report? I hear they take time, but you might get them back." A half amused smile curved his lips before he bent over his sample cart. Grabbing the handle, he began pushing it away from Lee.

Lee gave pursuit, not intending to lose the man a second time. "Well, it would help if they had any known anuses, balls they might hang around, any tight asses they would frequent, things of that nature."

"I assure you, I wouldn't know." Felix was pulled up short by Lee's finger running along the waist band of his underwear.

"Well, what have we here? It seems I'm going to have to report you as an accomplice." Giving the underwear a tug, he grinned at Felix, who had turned to stare at him. "You do know harboring runaway underwear without reporting them is a crime, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Gaeta nearly gave in to the urge to laugh at Lee. Who knew pilots were so damned ridiculous? "Oh, gee, Mr. Lieutenant, whatever can I do to keep your silence?"

"Well, you could have dinner with me." Sliding his hands around Gaeta's waist, feeling up the band of his underwear all the way to the front, Lee leaned in close. "Nothing formal, just a nice, quiet dinner at a venue of your choosing."

Having had enough, Gaeta grabbed Lee's hands and pushed them off his clothes. Pulling up his scrubs to cover the underwear, he started off. At the corner, he paused long enough to turn and nod at Lee.

Sudden elation filled him. He had a date, nothing firmly set, but it was a start. Zipping up his flight suit, Lee strolled back out of the hospital wing and towards the exit. Things were looking up.

Shivering under an awning staring out over the ocean, Lee kept his jacket pulled close to him. It had been raining non stop for the past three days and looked to continue for a while yet. For the thousandth time he questioned what he was doing out here. This entire thing was crazy, but for reasons he didn't care to think about, he was willing to put himself out on a limb.

Coming up behind Lee, Gaeta smiled as he watched Lee hunker down in his jacket further. "Sorry I'm late, the traffic on the north bound road from Delphi City was murder."

Spinning, Lee's teeth chattered as he watched Gaeta come around a bistro table. His outfit wasn't the most flattering, but it was far better than the scrubs he had been wearing the last time they met. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as Gaeta showed him the band of his underwear. "I guess I'm never going to get those back."

"Only if you marry me and you forget to invite your mother." Gaeta took Lee's hand between his own gloved ones and rubbed it furiously. "We need to get you warmed up. I think they sell an herbal tea in here that might be passable."

"Only our first date and already you are talking terms of marriage. I must be out of my mind for agreeing to do this." Enjoying the way Gaeta was alternately blowing on his hand and rubbing it, Lee felt a comfortable malaise come over him. It felt good, he felt good. "If you really want to warm me up, I got a much better way in mind."

"I'm not sticking my hand down your pants no matter how prettily you pout." Grabbing Lee's other hand, he stuck them under his arm pits, using his hands to rub Lee's arms. "A small trick they taught us in survival training."

"Sure it is, and I really am one of the Lords of Kobol." He chuckled when Felix's hands stopped moving. Squeezing his own hands around Felix's chest, he began to massage the other man.

"I knew it, you really are intent on having your way with me." Lifting his shirt, Gaeta threw back his head. "Take me, I'm yours!"

For a minute, all Lee could think about was sliding his hands down that body. He wanted to run his fingers down the treasure trail to see if he really could strike gold. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath to steady himself. He could do this. "Been too long since I got laid."

"Since you... Trust me, no one is more desperate than me, but if I can wait, so can you, Lieutenant." Letting his shirt drop, Gaeta possessively wrapped his arm around Lee's and started them walking side by side down the walk. Tangling their fingers, he grinned at Lee. "Close your eyes and make a wish."

Giddily caught up in the moment, Lee complied without hesitation. When he heard the snick of metal on metal followed by the snap of something opening, he opened his eyes. Above them, Gaeta had opened an umbrella to protect them from the rain. "I wondered how you had come here dry."

"I don't suppose you'd believe I was just so fast I could run between the rain drops?" They both laughed as they stepped off the curb in to the almost deserted street.

"Speaking of my mother, don't worry, I'll handle her." Lee ignored Gaeta's frown, turning instead to pick a flower from a bush they passed. Smelling it, he handed it to Gaeta. "My mother thought she was dealing with another of Zak's girlfriends. I'm not making an excuse for what she did, just explaining why she did it. There is no justifying her behavior towards you."

Having looked away when Lee spoke of justifying, Gaeta nodded. "Still, don't ever expect me to sit down and play nice."

"Now, never say ever. If we do get serious, you'll have to meet her again some day. She may be on my shit list right now, but I still love her very much." To stop the other man from pulling away, Lee squeezed his hand and jerked him close. "Come on, surely you've dealt with an over protective mother before."

"Not once." Gaeta sniffed the flower once more before running it down his cheek. "My own mother was killed in a pirate raid when I was a baby. No one knew who she was because the ship was unregistered and they didn't exactly leave the bodies identifiable." He gave a soft snort. "My family were the marines who found me. I was raised aboard the BattleStar Olympus until she was decommissioned."

Swallowing, Lee felt himself go numb inside. He didn't want to imagine losing his parents. Frowning, he started to recall what he could of the Olympus. "Uh, wasn't she the second to last original BattleStar?"

"Yes. In the end, she had to be towed to the salvage yard because the damage was too extensive." They were silent a few minutes, continuing their walk back to the bistro.

Something occurred to Lee. "I think I get it now. Serving aboard the Galactica would have been like coming home to you."

"Exactly, but that's all gone now." Feeling his good mood evaporate, Gaeta scowled at the passing cars. They had been out until early the next morning and he had to get back to the stop before the bus left. "We're almost there, I guess we should say something meaningful now."

"Not really." What Gaeta had already said started the wheels in Lee's head to moving. Glancing up at his companion's face, he smirked. "I've got a surprise for you. It's going to take a few weeks, but I promise it will be well worth it."

Gaeta glanced over to Lee before snorting. "I can't wait."

"Too bad, you're going to have to." When he looked ahead again, he saw they were at the bistro and a bus was coming up the street.

"My chariot comes, Phoebos Apollo, I must go." Spreading his arms, he stretched out ahead of them. "I must go!"

"But fair Daphne, grant me but a kiss and I will be yours forever." Lee couldn't hold the laughter in at Gaeta's expression of distaste. "Just one and then we can say good night."

"Just one." Stepping up to Lee, Felix stared him straight in the eyes. "Just one and then I must go."

"Just one."

Upon receipt of his fifth paycheck, Gaeta had enough currency to get the hell off Caprica and bought a transport ticket. Libero, Tauron, Pycon, and now Caprica, were all out from his consideration. Sagitteron was a primitive back water world in comparison to the rest of the system, but it held promise. Political strife made it a welcome trade for someone who was on the outs with both those who had ties to the government and now the military.

He had been content to stay in his position for a few more weeks, but that changed this morning. He had come off his late night shift early enough to get home before the sun rose. It was the only reason he hadn't been spotted. There were a half dozen men in colonial military uniforms stationed around his building. Glad that he had taken the precaution of keeping his clothes in the duffle over his shoulder, Gaeta simply altered his course and walked away.

Since he hadn't an account, there was no reason to visit a bank. The bottom of his bag was heavy with quebits. This time, he planned ahead better. Part of that was in lining up contacts through friends of Dr. Baltar. Friends were a generous description of the man's contacts, more like past conquests.

Waiting in line with the rest of the passengers for the passenger liner Mingvar, Gaeta shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't slept in twenty-four hours and was feeling every minute of it after the initial adrenalin had worn off. The ticket lady hadn't said a word about his appearance, just wanted his money and then handed over the paper ticket to feed the reader at the launch gate.

For the life of him, Gaeta couldn't imagine why the colonial military was after him. He had done nothing to warrant their attention, at least nothing they could prove. Dabbling in the medical sciences was hardly a crime. He had learned enough at the Apollo center to know he wanted to learn more.

Aside from the political strife and military free zone, there was an academy of sciences on Sagitteron. One of his new contacts was in residence. Having sent him a letter weeks earlier, he had paved the way for an eventual transfer. Events, being as they were, he was simply going earlier than expected.

"All passengers of the Mingvar Express to Sagitteron, we are now boarding. Please have out your boarding passes and follow the yellow lines. For your convenience..."

Gaeta tuned out the rest of what the woman had to say, choosing to focus on the line as it moved instead. In thirty minutes he would be on Sagitteron starting over yet again. This time, it was by choice. For the first time in three months, he felt like he would be okay. As he stepped up to the gate entrance for the boarding, he held out his ticket.

Taking his ticket, the clerk smiled at him. She inserted the ticket in her reader, and clicked a button on it. Handing it back to him, she gave him another brilliant smile. "Have a safe trip, Mr. Adama."

"I will, thank you." Tucking the ticket in his jacket, Gaeta walked through the gate and passed the security personnel.

Rising from his seat at the tribunal's table, Lee spun to face the entering marine captain. He looked expectantly at the man. "Well?"

Saluting Lee, the captain shook his head. "I am sorry, Captain Adama, but we were unable to locate him. It seems he may have fled the area already."

"Fled implies he was under arrest." Anger rising in him, Lee felt his temper make his voice clipped. "Let me guess, you arrived in full force, staked out the building?"

"It is standard procedure." Standing at attention, the guard looked straight ahead to avoid Lee's glare. "We did as instructed, it is not my fault if he..."

"He what?" Lee scoffed. This man actually thought he should be grateful to him. "Saw your troops and thought he was being hounded by the same agency that had forced him to resign in the first place? Made him think that may be he was being sought out as a deserter after all? No, you didn't think at all, did you?"

"Captain Adama, that will be quite enough." Sighing with disgust, Admiral Yempelios closed the folder that had been set in front of him. Pushing it away, he glanced to the Commanders on either side of him. "If the petitioner can not be found, we will have to close this subject."

"What? No!" Leaving the marine captain, Lee ran around his table to stand in front of the admiral. "Sir, please, you can't!"

"I am afraid, if he will not come and stand up to these allegations, we can do nothing about it." Rising from his own seat, the Admiral took off his glasses. "Now, unless you know where the Lieutenant is, this matter is closed."

"You can't." Lee closed his eyes and took a cleansing breath. "He didn't bring the case, I did, but only on his behalf. Sir, Lieutenant Gaeta was forced to resign his commission, I know it."

"This is highly suspect, but due to the circumstances I will allow you some leeway. Do you have any proof?" The admiral knew what he needed from the way Lee's jaw set. "Very well. Case closed!" Banging the gavel, he left the tribunal table. On his way to the door, he stopped and gave Lee a heartfelt smile. "Congratulations on your promotion, nephew."

"Thank you, sir." Saluting the admiral, Lee stood at attention until the man left the room. He had hoped to surprise Gaeta with this. It would have been the first meeting that opened an investigation in to his father's actions. Even if they had failed, he would have stood up to his father, let him know that what he did wouldn't go unanswered.

As it was, Lee gathered up his briefcase and headed for the door. He had a missing man to find.

"You will be given a room on campus until you can provide accommodations for yourself. Lab hours are seven in the morning until eleven at night. In between time is for maintenance personnel only. I expect you to be at my side no later than eight in the morning for daily orientation before classes start." Adjusting his glasses, Dr. Atrius used his cane like a pool cue to knock some books in to Gaeta's lap. "Read these, you have a month to prepare for my class. As my assistant, you must be knowledgeful of all these things and much, much more."

Catching them before they could fall on the floor, Gaeta gratefully accepted the books. He hadn't anticipated the professor as being from the pre-cylon era, but could appreciate this for what it was. Then again, he should have. The man had studied Dr. Shenkar's work and expanded on it. "Sir, if I may ask, when will I be allowed to begin work on the genome project?"

Rubbing at his chin, the frail looking old man blinked. His thick glasses magnified his eyes making him look nothing so much as a blue eyed lizard in Gaeta's opinion. "It is only because of our mutual friends that I have allowed you to come here, Mr. Adama. Do not be so quick to impose yourself upon my research. If, and I do mean if, I ever allow you access to it, you have to have a great deal more than just a passing interest in genetics."

"Unless you can offer me a position on a battlestar, I hardly think that will be a problem." His words were deadly serious, but Gaeta followed them up with a pleasant smile. It was always a good way to reassure people. "The government's actions regarding Dr. Shenkar's work were premature and ignorant at best."

"Yes, I understand you believe that, but you never told me why." Shifting in his seat, Atrius put one leg up on his desk to stretch it and relieve the cramps in the calf.

"Let's just say they are personal and leave it at that." He wasn't about to tell the man what he suspected. If one man could not only flesh out some of Dr. Shenkar's theories, but improve upon them given limits on existing technology, then he had to be careful. "Dr. Atrius, I promise you this, nothing I believe will make me betray your confidence."

"We'll see, Mr. Adama, we'll see."

Throwing his gear on his new bunk, Lee kicked his footlocker in anger. His new commander was a pure dick. Just because Lee was the son of the great Commander Adama, he expected him to make miracles. When he didn't, Lee was treated frostily and told to spend more time in the simulators. The man was fast becoming a problem for Lee and he would soon see the end of it, one way or another. As it was, he had already put in for a transfer.

Two weeks on the garbage scow ironically called the Argo and he was ready to just say frak it. But, the commander of the ship wasn't the only source of his problems. Being posted on the rim, he didn't have full access to his resources. The search for Felix had yielded nothing in the month since he disappeared. Then he had been transferred here and any communiques were routed through a commander who decided what was necessary for his crew to function. Needless to say, private communiques were denied more than once.

That's why, when he saw the envelope on his bunk, he almost thought it was a mirage. Tentatively, he reached out for it as he sat down. When his fingers made contact, he quickly snatched it up. He saw there were dozens of post stamps on it. Judging from their dates and location, the letter had been circumnavigating the system looking for him. He didn't recognize the writing, but it didn't matter, he knew who it was from.

Gently prying open the seal, he pulled out the letter and unfolded it. Taking a deep breath, he began to read. "Apollo. Over the past few weeks since our date, I know we have kept in touch, but there was something I wasn't telling you. I have been indulging my passion and have decided to earn my degree, possibly a doctorate. I had hoped to surprise you with this when you gave me your surprise as it would mean a more stable living arrangement.

"Despite my plans, something came up and I was forced to step up the time table. I am confident that once I am settled in my new home that I will make time to contact you further. If I am unable, to find me you must follow the route of Artemis during the winter solstice. Look through the gateway to the stars for FGA. Trust in science, it will guide you. Yours in trust, Daphne." After rereading the letter to himself, Lee folded it up and put it back in the envelope.

"Daphne, hunh? Sounds kind of snooty, though that might be right up your alley." Snickering to herself, Lieutenant Ulterra pulled on her uniform tank. Tossing her hair over the edge, she settled the tank. "Explains why you haven't so much as given any of us a second glance. Which is good, because we were starting to think the commander was right."

"About what?" Stashing the letter in his footlocker, Lee slammed it shut and locked it.

"That you thought you were too good for us." Pulling her blonde hair back in a bob, she grinned at Lee in her mirror.

"What makes you think he isn't right?" Storming out of the pilot's bunk, Lee ignored her shocked look. He had a comm officer to deal with and a possible mutiny to start.

The first explosion rocked the academy of sciences at ten in the morning local time. Shortly afterwards all hell broke loose. As marines poured over the campus, they shot first. Students and faculty alike were mowed down in the sudden chaos. A moment after the second blast, alarms across the campus echoed.

Riding high on an intercept course, twelve Vipers flew over head, their orders were to shoot down anything that tried to escape. They got their first taste of action a short time later. Rising from the ground, a civilian transport tried to make a run for it. Following orders, the lead pilot blew out the engines. Taking pity on the crew, he destroyed the craft rather than let them suffer a crash.

In the bio-labs, the few techs, professors, and associates involved in the project gathered their data. Downloading it in to a central memory archive, they threw the hard copies in to the lab's incinerator. Not a one thought they would survive the next hour, but their work had to make it out. Among their number, Felix quickly encrypted the data as it was uploaded to the mainframe.

As the last of the discs were inserted to the drives and the data processed, Dr. Atrius grabbed his assistant by the arm. Despite his advanced age, his grip was firm and steady. "You must ensure that it reaches Dr. Hemmo on Tauron! He is the only one who can make sure this reaches those who can do something about it. They have to know what we have discovered!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Freeing his arm from Dr. Atrius, Gaeta hit the last button to lock off the drive.

"Why not?" Hurt by Gaeta's actions, Dr. Atrius frowned. "You volunteered, don't back out now, son!"

"I can't because Dr. Hemmo is already dead." Before the old man could figure out what he was doing, Gaeta quickly unhooked the memory core from the upload drives. He snatched the three foot long, cylindrical drive from it's base and placed it in the carrying case. Taking it, he moved towards the door.

"Stop him!" Finally starting to realize something about this whole situation was wrong, Dr. Atrius signaled for the other people in the lab to intercept Gaeta.

Pulling a gun from the back of his belt, Gaeta shot the closest lab tech in the forehead. Backing towards the door, he clutched the case to him. As he crossed the threshold in to the environmental suit chamber, he hit the biohazard alarm. "You brought this on yourselves."

As one, they tried to rush the lab exit but the lab's security system slammed down the airlock door sealing them in. Yellow lights around the lab started to flash and a klaxon started. They banged on the door, begging to be let out, but already the temperature started to rise inside the lab. Suddenly large jets of flame engulfed the lab burning all inside it.

Rushing for the far side of the building, Gaeta heard the sounds of approaching marines. Putting on extra speed, he reached his office before they spotted him. He only had a small amount of time before they discovered him. Quickly shucking out of his clothes, he grabbed the gray duffle off his desk. He quickly pulled out the clothes and put them on.

Gaeta had finished snapping the helmet in place when the first marine burst in to the room. Picking up his case, he looked at the marine expectantly.

Snapping a salute at Gaeta, the marine scanned the office once more. "Ready to go, sir."

"Lead on." Carrying the case as if it were a heavy child, Gaeta ran after the marine. They rendezvoused with several more marines, including a captain, at the main junction. At the captain's questioning look, Gaeta nodded. "Taken care of, target acquired."

"Very good. Move out!" Removing the cap on the timer, the captain pressed the switch and tossed it behind him.

"And in a surprise revisit to old wounds, Rebels on Sagitteron decimated the academy of sciences in what is being labeled as a cleansing of the..." The reporter was silenced as Lee flipped off the screen.

Having been demoted back to lieutenant and suspended from active duty for six months due to his actions aboard the Argo, he had little to fill his days with. The revoking of his flight status during this time had cut down on his enthusiasm for the job and life in general. He had taken to just sitting around, pretty much ignoring the rest of the world. In fact, his only hobby was to see how tight his shorts were the next morning. Two months in to his exile, his pants no longer buttoned.

He considered it a good start.

When they could pry themselves away from one another, his brother and now girlfriend, Kara would visit him, on his quebit of course. It was disgusting to see how happy they were. Yet, despite himself, he couldn't begrudge them their happiness. As much as Kara could ever be happy, she liked to beat herself up over every little thing and it got on his nerves.

Lee was halfway through a good scratch of his balls when the doorbell on his apartment rang. Of course, it would have to be the front entrance through the locked display room. He was about to let it go when the knocking started and didn't stop. Groaning, Lee heaved his boxer bedecked bulk from the chair and walked to the door. Grabbing the key out of the lock box, he slipped in and unlocked the display room door.

When he was inside, he took a moment to admire the memorabilia, from the cylon cranial armor to the tapestry. The knocking started to get on his nerves and he scowled at the door. "I'm coming, keep your frakking pants on!"

"Lee, open the door!"

He recognized that voice. Moving through the displays, Lee reached the door and threw open the bolt. Opening the door, he looked expectantly at the other man. "What do you want?"

Gaeta didn't give him a second chance to say anything as he wrapped his arms around Lee. Pressing his lips to Lee's, he forced the other man to back up. Using his heel, Gaeta slammed the door shut behind them.

Facing the closet door, Gaeta slid his hand slowly up and down the arm that pinned him to the bed. The comfortable warmth of his lover flush against his back made him want to lay there forever. Through the window at their heads, he could hear the din of ships moving through the city. Occasionally, a ship would pass between the sun over head and them blocking it out. The sun was barely coming through the window so he knew it was mid afternoon.

He wanted to sleep, knew he should get some, but all he could focus on were the screams of those people in the lab. He had never killed so many people before. It should never have happened, it wouldn't have if they had only paid attention. Felix couldn't figure out why people were so driven to do what they knew was wrong.

As if sensing Felix's thoughts, Lee tightened his grip around the man, pushing his crotch against Gaeta's rear. "You are keeping me awake."

"Sorry." Bringing Lee's hand up to his lips, he kissed each finger. "Forgive me?"

"May be tomorrow." Yawning, Lee stretched a little before returning to Felix's body. "Today we sleep. Now quit thinking."

Felix made a sound of amusement, sighing with pleasure as Lee rubbed his stomach. Letting the drowsiness take him, he found it hard to keep his eyes open. "Can I stay with you forever?"

"Only if you shut up and go to sleep." Already half there, Lee drifted off and started to snore softly.

Pressing back in to Lee's body, bringing as much of the other man on top of him as possible, Gaeta finally gave in to sleep.

Buttoning up his recently altered uniform, Lee watched Gaeta sitting at his kitchen table. Having been called back to active duty due to uprisings on Sagitteron, he worried about Gaeta. Lee adorned his uniform by adding the leather insignia band while he glanced over at his brother. "You'll watch over him for me?"

"Yeah, sure." Having been watching Gaeta sit there for the past hour doing nothing, Zak was confused about the whole thing. He'd only seen this sorta behavior in his father and a few others. They all had one thing in common. "What happened to make him like that?"

"You know why I was called back to service, right?" It wasn't really a question, because he didn't care for an answer. Zak knew why and he was aware of that. Fixing his uniform, he tugged down on the jacket to straighten it out. "He was there."

"That's impossible, they said no one made it out alive." For some reason, Zak felt it necessary to keep his tone low. When he had nearly shouted, he winced. "How did he survive?"

"That's the question, isn't it." Cinching the leather belt about his waist, Lee raised his eyebrows. "I'd been searching for him the past three months and all that time he was working on a degree there. He won't talk about it, so don't try to engage him."

"Sounds like someone else I know. Gee, I wonder who that could be?" Punching his brother in the shoulder, Zak shoved him towards the door. "I'll keep an eye on your little lady, Lee, just don't expect me to be all touchy feely."

Side stepping his brother's attempts to get him out, Lee walked slowly in to the kitchen. Coming up behind Gaeta, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. This was the last time he would see the man for a while, he knew. The last three days together had been exactly what he needed. He hadn't known it before, but he needed someone to depend upon him.

Lee brushed a hand through Gaeta's curls, feeling content when Gaeta leaned his head back against him. "I'll try to contact you the first chance I get."

Nodding against Lee's belly, Gaeta wrapped his arms around the other man. He was already starting to feel the numbness slip over him again that he had lived with for the past six months. Six months since his career had been cut short. Felix could hardly believe it. Looking up at Lee, he wanted to whisper that he cared for him. It wouldn't come.

Lee bent down to press a kiss to Gaeta's lips before stepping back. Sniffing, he turned and headed for the door. He sent a look to his brother expressing his feelings. "Keep this under your hat, I don't want anyone to know about this. If people find out, I will know."

Saluting his older brother sarcastically, Zak grinned.

Choosing to let it go, Lee returned the salute and walked out.

As he heard the door close, Gaeta went back to staring out the bay window over the city.

Zak stood there a minute watching Gaeta. He felt uncomfortable now that he knew who is brother was sleeping with. Rubbing his hands together, he came in to the kitchen. "So, you going to be fine?" When Gaeta didn't answer, Zak smirked. "Okay, well, I got to get back to the base. My instructor only let me have the morning off because of family. So, uh, I guess I'll be checking on you tonight, or something."

Silence was the only response he got.

Rushing for the door, Zak felt relief start to come over him. He was almost home free. He just had to get to the other side of the door and he would be!

"You suck."

"That would be Lee, I prefer women. Bye!" Rushing through the door, Zak slammed it shut and ran for the elevator.

Standing at attention, uniform perfectly fitted in all the right places, he was the epitome of the colonial military. There were flaws in his appearance, though. He wasn't the tall, muscle bound man they depicted. His skin wasn't technically the right pigmentation. He never smiled on que. And his hair was shaggy.

Despite all that, Felix Gaeta was a true Colonial Officer. He had served his fleet with honor and distinction. There wasn't a reason things shouldn't go his way.

Glancing up from the file, Admiral Etrinni closed it and leaned on the table. "Mr. Gaeta, what exactly does all this mean? You speak of half discovered truths and a conspiracy, but nothing concrete. Where are these people?"

"Dead, sir, as ordered." He couldn't believe it. The son of a bitch was reneging on his deal. Visibly ruffled, Gaeta stared at the admiral. "You yourself ordered me to make sure no one with the project survived!"

"Did I? I don't recall ever giving such an order." Etrinni sat back, a half amused smirk on his face. Everything was going according to plan. "What exactly did this supposed deal entail?"

"Yes, I would like to know the circumstances of these allegations." Beside the old man, Admiral Cain caught the Etrinni's stiffening posture. There was no love loss between them. Getting herself appointed to this board was yet another stab at his career. She wanted him out.

Straightening up, Gaeta again fixed his gaze above the heads of the admiralty. He might have a shot if Cain was on his side. "Admiral Etrinni gave me orders in writing that I was to officially resign my commission as a member of the colonial military. Unofficially, I would be an agent of fleet intelligence, a branch of the defense ministry. In exchange for carrying out his orders, in six months time, I would be given a promotion and assignment."

A slow smile spread across Cain's face. "Where exactly are these orders, Lieutenant?"

"Safely hidden, but I have a copy on my person, if you will permit me." At her nod, Gaeta unbuttoned the top of his uniform. Reaching inside above his heart, he pulled out the sheet of paper. It was a black and white copy, but the signature was plainly visible. Walking to the board's table, he handed it to Cain.

"You may return to attention." Cain examined the paper, delight clearly in her expression. After rereading it three times, she glanced over at Etrinni. "Well, it seems he was correct. These are official, even down the personal seal."

"Give me that!" Taking it from Cain, Etrinni examined it with dismay. "These have to be fake. I would never make such a mistake."

"Can we please get back to the matter at hand?" Admiral Metahart glared at the bickering admirals with derision. "What we are discussing is a matter of vital importance to the security of the Twelve Colonies. Now, Lieutenant Gaeta, in your time among these people, did you observe any physical proof of the research being done there as eluded to in the drive you retrieved?"

"Yes, ma'am, I did." At his words, several of the eight admirals on the board grew angry.

"Then in the end, our actions were justified. Dr. Shenkar's work must be eradicated where it is found!" As the center of the panel, Metahart was the senior admiral, thus the presiding officer. Her voice was clearly enunciated from her anger, ringing in the ears of all there. "When we opened Pandora's box fifty years ago, we got the cylons! If we allowed men and women who are too foolish to act without thinking of the ramifications free rein, who knows what other plague they would unleash upon humanity. No, it is better those few should die than we all suffer the consequence."

"What of me?" Since his mission was complete, Gaeta felt he was owed something. He had kept his part of the bargain.

Considering him for a minute, Metahart set her gavel down. "While we appreciate your efforts and the extraordinary circumstances of your position, there is frankly no way we can honor this deal. You did resign from the public view, to reinstate you without justification would result in too many questions."

"No." He tried to plead with her, but saw she wasn't empathizing with him.

She ignored his reaction, these were difficult times and sacrifices had to be made. "Your value to us in these matters is incalculable. Since you have been incognito for so long, I believe a short rest is necessary before your next assignment. Should you choose to resign, your signed non disclosure agreement would prevent you from ever revealing any of these proceedings upon penalty of treason and death. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." He had lost it after all. There wasn't even the promise of a position in the fleet waiting for him now.

"Very well. In six weeks time, you will report to Colonial Base Athens for a meeting with Admiral Cain under the guise of retrieving some belongings. She will be your new handler and all assignments will come personally from her." Raising her gavel, Metahart banged it down. "Dismissed!"

Putting his key in the door, Gaeta turned it and the handle to let himself in. As he entered, the strong whiff of roses and lilacs came to his nose. Only one person he knew of wore that scent. "What do you want?"

Glancing up from her glass, Caroline looked down the long hall to see Gaeta entering the apartment. Frowning, she set the glass down. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here, what's your excuse?" Closing the door, he set the key on the hook next to the door. Having been there a week, he had memorized where Lee kept things. He didn't bother to look at her, too afraid he would do something he would regret.

"I was concerned for my son. Obviously I had reason since it's apparent he has taken up with a bad crowd again." Rising from the table, she tried to walk in to the hallway to meet him, but Gaeta shut the hall door in her face.

Locking the hall door, Gaeta walked in to the bedroom he shared with Lee when he was home. Taking off his trench coat, he removed his uniform. The entire thing was thrown in the trash can next to the vanity while he heard the lock on the hall door shake.

Caroline was trying to pick the lock.

Opening the nightstand's drawer, Gaeta picked up the gun Lee kept in it. Carrying it and the clip separately to the door, he glared at the door. "Stop what you are doing and leave or I will shoot you through the door."

"You wouldn't! This is still my house..." She was silenced when he slammed the clip in the gun. Dropping the knife, she backed away from the door. "You wouldn't!"

"Bitch, I'm frakking crazy, didn't they tell you? How about I show you how good a marksman I am by opening this door without even touching the lock? Hmm, doesn't that sound like fun?" Gaeta was on the verge of blowing it by cackling. He had to place a hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter as he heard her heels clacking on the floor as she bolted.

With a sigh, he tossed the pellet gun on to the bed. There might be hell to pay over this when Lee got back. It all depended upon how much time the man had to deal with the situation before he did. Walking over to the nightstand, Gaeta picked up the handset and dialed out the number for Athens Base.

Lee didn't know how to take the message. Having been off ship when Gaeta's comm came through over the wireless, they had been forced to write it down. His initial reaction was to get angry at his mother and Gaeta both. Then, when he actually pictured it in his mind, he started to laugh. Folding the message up, he stuck it in his flight suit.

"What response would you like to send, sir?" Glancing up at Lee expectantly, she tried not to grow flushed. He made special things happen in her stomach.

"Send this to my mother on Caprica, route it through Athens base." Picturing it clearly in his mind, he clenched his fists on the communication's console. "Dear Mother. I have asked you to stay out of my apartment unless you called ahead first and I gave you the go ahead. He did not have a real gun, mother, it was my old pellet gun. You remember the one I keep in my night stand to deter Zak from stealing my condoms." At the snickers around him, Lee had to bite his lips to keep from smiling. "I would suggest that you stay away from him in the future as he might prove less hospitable. I also ask that you keep this between us as I am sure no one wishes to hear about our family business. With love, your son, Lee. P.S. Once again, you moved out ten years ago, I took over the lease. I don't know why I must remind you of this."

Smiling at him, the comm officer finished typing the message and hit the send. "Sent!" She simply adored him, even if he was being rude to his mother. She was certain she could train it out of him if he only let her.

"Good, now send this one to the original sender, care of the original carrier frequency." He waited for her to type in the signal requirements. When she looked up at him expectantly, he continued on. "Dear Daphne."

The CIC suddenly seemed way too quiet for a BattleStar.

Glaring at the people around him, Lee cleared his throat. "It has come to my attention that you are being an ass to my mother. While, I understand your need to flaunt your perfectly taut gluteus maximus, I must insist that you keep it covered around her. If she bothers you once more, think of our last night together. Remember how I pushed you over the kitchen table, tugging your pants down around your ankles. The tender caress of my palms across your thighs, slowly rubbing up them inch by aching inch. Feel my heated breath on your skin as I pant, drawing out each excruciating moment of it.

"Then, remember how I slammed my hand across your ass, asking who your commanding officer was. If you ever threaten my mother with a pellet gun again, you will never get to stand at attention and give me the one pecker salute." Grinning sweetly at the murderous look the comm officer was giving him, Lee enjoyed the moment. "Your Big, Hairy CO, Captain Apollo."

The comm officer debated deleting the message rather than sending it, but the decision was taken from her as Lee reached over and hit the key sequence. In shock, she began to sputter. "What? You sent that? They are going to think I sent that! Do you know what kind of perverts relay those messages? Or what they will think about me?"

"No, but I am sure your reputation will remain unscathed. Now, I have one final message to send." Leaning over the console, he made sure she understood that he didn't give a damn what she thought so long as she did her job. "This one is to a resident at Athens base."

Gaeta was in the shower when he heard the door bell. He finished washing his hair before stepping out. Whoever it was could either leave the package or wait for his convenience. After he had dried off, Gaeta padded to the rear entrance, ready to deal with whoever it was. Much to his relief, there was only a small black box at the door. It was marked with a red relief of winged Eros in flight.

Frowning, Gaeta picked up the box as if it might explode. Bringing it inside, he closed the door behind him. As he shook the box to see if it might go off, he frowned. There was something heavy inside, but he couldn't tell what it was. He set it on the kitchen table intending to leave it until later but the box started to vibrate.

Much to his horror, the vibrating box inched its way off the table. As it hit the floor, the vibrating mechanism rolled across the kitchen floor and a bill of sales fluttered to land at his feet. Picking it up, he felt his skin heat up. "Throbbin Robbin: Apollo Swallow Series."

"I'm going to kill him."

Slinking his way to his bunk, Lee felt like he was dragging the universe and his ass behind him. All he wanted to do was roll over and go to sleep. After sixteen hours of dealing with food riots and crowd control as head of a marine detachment, he was too exhausted to care if he smelled. Just as he reached his bunk, much to his annoyance, there was a black package sitting on it. Picking it up, he heard something moving inside it that sounded like puzzle pieces.

Setting it back down, he pried open the packing tape and lifted off the lid. Suddenly his day got a lot brighter. Scattered among the shattered vibrator parts were pictures of Gaeta obviously taken in the mirror. Doing an impromptu strip tease for the mirror, Gaeta ended up in Lee's briefs with the pellet gun stuffed down the front.

Making sure no one had seen, he pulled out the pictures and put the lid back on the box. The box went in to the trash and the pictures were locked in the bottom of his footlocker.

Zak Adama was working on putting back together a Viper. After crashing it for the second time, Kara had decided he would have more respect for the bird if he had to rebuild the damn thing. So far, he was just ready to throw in the towel. There was no point in trying to fix the damn thing, the entire rear support was cracked and she would never fly again. Still, she had insisted he put it back together.

He was halfway through the second compressor for the drive manifold, when he thought he saw someone he recognized heading towards the hangar. Setting down his tools, he wiped his hands off on his overalls. If Gaeta was here, then may be something was wrong. Usually, if the guy had a message to send, he would go through his own channels.

Moving towards the hangar, he was about to enter it when Boomer and Helo exited laughing about something. Distracted by the arrival of his friends, he grinned. "What's so funny, guys?"

Catching her breath, Boomer leaned on Helo for support. She shook her head and waved at Zak. "You don't wanna know."

"What she means is the less you know, the better for all." Cackling, Helo let go of Boomer and started away from the hangar. When she didn't immediately follow, Helo dragged her behind him.

Jumping in to action, Zak moved to block their path. "Hold up! Did a man named Felix Gaeta just enter the hangar?"

Sobering enough to focus upon the question, Boomer shook her head no. "He didn't say his name, just came in, said hello and Cain went off. She told us to get out with the implication she was going to rip him a new one. The look on his face, oh that look!" Clutching at Helo as he made an impression for Zak, she slapped his arm. "Cut that out, Cain might think you're on the menu!"

Giggling, Helo dragged the near hysterically laughing Boomer away.

Zak watched them until they disappeared across the tarmac in to the barracks. Turning, he walked back to the hangar. He couldn't see anything through the dust clogged windows and decided to chance cracking open the door. He opened the door, trying to see if he could hear anything but frowned when all that greeted him was the wind.

Pushing the door all the way in, he entered the hangar, looking about for any sign of Cain or Gaeta. Much to his surprise, he could see no one around the large Raptors. He stalked along the row of four Raptors, searching for someone but found even they were empty. Pausing, he counted the Raptors again. There should have been five of them.

"I told you I quit!" Staring at Admiral Cain, Gaeta fought to keep his voice steady. The woman's abject refusal to accept anyone telling her no was driving him to rage. "There is nothing you can say or do that will change my mind, Admiral."

Cain said nothing. There was nothing for her to say. In her quarters, she was the supreme being and nothing was above her command. The fact he didn't get that yet was something to be changed. "The details of your mission are as follows. You will infiltrate Doctor Baltar's social circle and set yourself up as a Doctor of Human Genetics..."

"Even if I did accept the mission, it would be impossible. I have already met Gaius Baltar." As she stopped talking, he grinned at her. "He already knows who I am." If he had hoped that would deter her, Gaeta was mistaken.

"Excellent, that will make this mission easier." She enjoyed the way his body shuddered under his control. If she had known how passionate he was eight months ago, she would have chosen him over the current incompetent ass she had for a tactical officer. There were very few things about her life she would have changed, he should be honored. Then again, she would never admit she made a mistake to him. "You will contact Baltar and insert yourself in to his life. I want a report on him in two weeks."

"What is the purpose of this mission?" From what he knew of Baltar, the man was a minor threat, but not in Felix's field. Baltar was a program designer, if he was allowed to continue his field of study, cylon like robots would result. Felix knew enough to work on a Battlestar, but not design one's computer core. There had to be others.

"He is being considered for a consultant's position with the Defense Ministry. We have reason to believe he may not be the best candidate." Handing him a folder, she grabbed a glass off her table. She drank from it, watching him study the folder, debating to open it or not. After two minutes, she hid her smile behind the glass as he looked inside.

Gaeta did a quick scan of the bio, nothing of remarkable interest in there beyond the list of awards and conquests. No name on the list stuck out to him. "This list is incomplete."

"We thought not. Dr. Baltar is a veritable Satyr." She grinned at his snort. Oh yes, he would have made a fine officer. "One of the duties is to flesh that out. His contacts, if he proves himself a traitor, will no doubt be worth investigating as well."

"Some, yes, but most, not hardly." There was no need to remind her about his last mission. "I already know most of his useful contacts. In fact, I have kept in regular contact with them." Despite the visible lack of change in her posture, he knew she was paying closer attention. "All right, I will take the mission."

"There was never any doubt, Mr. Gaeta." Setting down her glass, she refilled it and poured him one. Some times you just had to take a step back and let them lead themselves.

The fighting had been fierce, people fell on both sides, but at the end of the day, more rioters were on the ground than marines. Lee had tried to minimize the losses by ordering disabling, not killing shots, but had pulled the trigger that ended lives more than once himself. There was so much blood on the ground in places that not even the constant rains could wash it away. So much senseless bloodshed over something as trivial as work farms.

It was a simple matter, the work farms produced a third of the colonial food supplies. The colonial government controlled most of them, the Sagitterons wanted all of them. They laid claim that since it was their planet they should control the food harvests. At one time, he had agreed with them, but not after today.

Looking at the bodies of his men in comparison to those of the rioters he felt no sympathy for them. They had chosen to turn against the government for no better reason than for more money. Their leaders had lied to them, saying the colonial government was deliberately keeping them out of it so they could keep control of them. By keeping them out, they could keep the prices low, thus keeping them all poor. They who controlled the food, controlled the colonies.

Frak them!

Shouldering his riffle, Lee spit upon the body of a dead rioter. He didn't know who had killed her, it didn't matter. She had tried to kill them, she got what she deserved. They all did.

Waiting for the door to open, Gaeta adjusted his collar. It was a small thing, wearing a tie, but it felt like he was choking. There were more pleasant clothes to wear, but Cain had suggested his suit might go over better with her. Just as he was about to rip the damn thing off, the door opened with a very rumpled looking Gaius Baltar staring at him.

"Yes?" His tone was impatient, Baltar being distracted by something behind him.

"Hello, Dr. Baltar, I don't know if you remember me, but I am Felix Adama." Sticking out his hand, Gaeta didn't expect the man to shake it. He was pleasantly surprised when he was proven wrong.

"Of course I remember you." Baltar did a complete turn around in his demeanor. Focusing completely on Gaeta, he leaned against his door and smiled for the man. "It's hard to forget someone with such an interesting take on Human reproduction techniques."

"Do you mind if I come in? I have traveled a long way to see you." In anticipation of being told yes or no, he began to scan around Gaius to see what he could.

"Yes! Yes, do come in." Moving back, he turned so he could watch Gaeta enter the house. It wasn't until he noticed the movement of Gaeta's ass in his pants that he remembered there was already someone there. "Natasi! Dear! There is someone here to see us."

Gaeta took in the slight disarray of the house, clothing and files scattered every where. It was nothing he hadn't expected from a scientist making ready for a business proposal. He had come across more than one chaos in his time at school and academy. What he hadn't saw, but now was viewing, was a woman in a bath robe and red heels.

Inclining his head at her, he kept his eyes on her. There was something about her that set him immediately on edge. He couldn't explain what it was, but he wanted to keep her as far away as possible. Holding out his hand to her, he forced a grin on his face. "My name is Felix Adama, nice to meet you."

Stopping in front of Gaius' couch, Six grinned in complete fascination at Felix. Cocking her head to the side, she peered at him under a tuft of hair. "Natasi Ulani." Shaking his hand, she traced her thumb over the back of his hand. "Adama, that's quite a famous name. Are you any relation to the great war hero?"

"Not a bit." Taking back his hand, he slowly drew it to his side so he could quickly wipe it off without suspicion. For a moment, they stood two feet apart staring at each other, sizing the other up.

Feeling the tension, Gaius clapped his hands together. "Well, if you two will give me a moment, I will freshen up and then we can visit." At their simultaneous nods, he backed out of the living room and nearly ran to his bedroom.

Sitting back confidently on the couch, Six artfully arranged herself and the bathrobe. "Please, sit. Let's discuss why you are here."

"Who do you represent?" Already on edge, her words made him yearn to strike her. Something about the way she carried herself, the way she watched him was dangerous. If he didn't kill her first, she would kill him.

"Archimedes Retron, they are a subsidiary of the Hyak Group." She smiled again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to draw his attention to her breasts, but found he wouldn't look away from her face. "How long have you been sleeping with men, Mr. Adama?"

"Eight months." Glancing up at the doorway to Gaius' bedroom as it opened, he tried for a pleasant expression. "You will have to tell me how you do it, Doctor. I have never met someone quite as interesting as Ms. Ulani."

"She is a rare find, that is for certain." Coming around the couch, Gaius sat down and grabbed her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed each finger. "You are most exquisite, my dear, so perfect."

"Yes, it's almost like she was manufactured." Gaeta felt a thrill shoot down his spine at the glare she sent his way.

"How long have you worked for the military, Mr. Adama?" Six had hoped her question would reveal something, but was disappointed when he chuckled.

"I am no longer employed by them." Glancing out the windows, Gaeta took in the lake waters, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding land. "You have a beautiful home, Dr. Baltar."

"Yes, well, it suits me." Finally taking in the atmosphere between his guests, Gaius decided to get on with the visit. "What brings you here, Mr. Adama?"

"A curtesy visit. I'm afraid I have some bad news." He had both their attentions and Gaeta began to monitor them for reactions. These next few moments would be critical. "As you may know, I spent a few weeks on Sagitteron before the fall of the Academy of Sciences. I got to know some of the staff and was preparing to earn a degree there when it came under attack. Until now, I wasn't sure as to their fates. Dr. Atrius' remains were found this morning when Colonial Marines liberated the campus. His entire staff and he were burned alive in their laboratory by the emergency biohazard protocols."

During his speech, Gaius had gone pale. He couldn't believe it. "Are you certain?"

"My contact found their university identification bracelets still attached to the bodies." Gaeta let quiet settle between them as Gaius digested the news. His reaction told Gaeta a lot about Baltar, but very little about Natasi.

Gaius looked close to panic. He knew there was nothing to implicate him in the Doctor's work, but still, even being associated was enough to damn him. "Do they know we were involved?"

"No. I was there under an assumed name." Well, an assumed name of an assumed name. Not like Gaius knew this, of course. Gaeta had no intention of telling him either. "In the last two weeks before the uprising, he gave me access to his work. I didn't get to see it all, but what he had done fascinated me. It's a shame I couldn't save more of it."

"Destroy it!" Leaning forward on the couch, Gaius looked at Gaeta imploringly. "You have to destroy whatever it is you took. They must not find out about it, my involvement, your existence, nothing!"

"Don't worry, Doctor, your secret is safe with me." And the Colonial Military Security Council. He hadn't known Gaius was involved with the project, but it was a nice bit to add.

"I don't care to take that chance. Destroy the damned research!" Gaius threw off Natasi's hand as she tried to stroke his back in comfort. This didn't require her involvement. She had already heard too much.

"Very well." Sighing as if disappointed, Gaeta looked down. "Before I do, I need to know who else might have known we were involved? I mean, aside from Atrius and Dr. Olera, who else worked on Dr. Shenkar's theories?"

"Um... Let me think here." Rubbing his forehead, Gaius shook it. There were too many names, he couldn't remember them all. Not all of them were involved and knew, but they all were a part of it. "Dr. Hemmo, he built the machines based upon... my designs. He's the last one who knows about me. Oh great, he's going to get me killed. That fat bastard is going to ruin me!"

"There's no need to panic, Dr. Hemmo is dead." Gaeta stood up. He placed a comforting hand on Gaius' shoulder. "Is there anyone else, anyone who might know what to do with Shenkar's work? Do you know what to do with it?"

"No, and no one else either. I never involved myself with it. Too complicated, too many variables. There's countless ways genetic tampering could go wrong. No, I stuck with designing the machines." Snickering, Gaius rubbed his hands over his face. "I designed the machines and now I'm going to hang for it."

"Thank you, Dr. Baltar, you've been very helpful. I'll show myself out." Giving Natasi one final look, Gaeta left the shaking man and walked out. His cover might have just been blown, but he didn't care. He had what he needed, what they did with it was up to them.

Sitting up beside Gaius, Six raised her hand under his chin to make him look at her. "Congratulations, Gaius."

"What?" Shivering, Gaius leaned in to her touch. His eyes were red with unshed tears. "What is going on?"

"You've just cleared the last hurdle to the consultantscy position." Squeezing his leg with her other hand, she smiled for him. "He was your final test."

"I don't understand. Are you saying he works for the Military? That would mean he lied to me." It was almost a foreign concept, someone lying to him. He did plenty of it, but other people like Gaeta seemed incapable of it.

"I don't think he did. You don't have to be employed by them to work for them." Letting him rest his forehead on her shoulder, she stroked his hair. "He's become very good at non answers and half truths." What she had heard intrigued her. She would have to look up this Dr. Shenkar and study his work. If it proved interesting enough, she would also look up Felix Adama.

Temporary lodgings aboard the BattleStar Pegasus were like a blessing to Lee. He didn't know what lottery he had won, but getting picked for the bed aboard an actual, honest to Zeus battlestar, was the most wonderful thing in the world. Most of the people his rank and lower were stuck on the surface for the foreseeable future. Seemingly stuck in rainy season, Sagitteron was a mudhole.

His gear flaking off mud like a snake shedding skin, he trudged through the decks to his new bunk. It was among the flight crew, so he knew exactly where he was heading. He ignored the looks they gave him as he passed. He knew he stunk like a peat bog, he'd been living near it for the past week. A few of the rebels had fled in to it and it was his job to flush them out.

All he could think about was getting a hot shower, putting on clean clothes, and laying back on the nice warm bunk and sleeping for a week. When he reached the pilots' bunk, he jerked the door open. Lee was surprised by the silence that greeted him. From experience, he knew they were some of the noisiest places on a ship.

Entering the cabin, he saw his bunk at the far end, bottom. What he saw on it took his breath away. Dropping his gear, Lee stared at Gaeta in surprise. "How?"

Raising the blankets, Gaeta patted the mattress beside him. "The Admiral owed me a favor. Let's not waste time asking questions we don't need the answers to. The others will be gone for another hour and then we'll have an audience."

Jerking open his uniform, Lee grinned. "Let'em watch."

Breathing in the scent of his lover, Gaeta felt peace descend upon him. Lee had fallen asleep on top of him and Gaeta hadn't felt the need to move him. As long as he took slow, even breaths, Lee's weight wasn't an issue. The problem was Lee's underwear were half on the pillow. Ordinarily this would be a good thing, but Lee hadn't washed in a week and any eroticism involved went out the window with the smell.

Using careful body movements so as not to disturb Lee, Gaeta freed his right hand. Slowly, he knocked the underwear on to the floor. The air free, he could take in the scent where he wanted it from, Lee's hair. Bending his neck forward so he could inhale, he placed a kiss gently upon Lee's head.

The man was his world now. He hadn't realized how much he had come to rely upon Lee being there. Their time together was brief, less than a week total. Yet, every day he wrote to Lee. Most of the time, Lee was in the field and couldn't receive his messages, but it mattered little. He could barely remember a time when Lee wasn't a consideration in his decisions.

Hearing the door open, Gaeta glanced over to see three of the pilots entering. He put a finger to his lips to keep them silent. Stroking Lee's back, he sighed when Lee shifted off of him. Automatically responding to Lee's movements, Gaeta slipped between him and the wall. Gaeta felt his own drowsiness take hold the moment Lee slipped in behind him, throwing an arm over his waist and leg between his.

Quiet snickering behind him was ignored. It didn't matter. He was back in Lee's arms and he was content.

Breathing heavily with regret, Lee watched the Raptor take off back to the Pegasus. His clothes were freshly laundered and his uniform pristine. That would soon be taken care of by the rain and mud. Walking to his unit, he glared at the smirking Lieutenants. "What?"

"I hear Daphne Adama made an appearance." Laughing at Lee's heated glare, Lieutenant Erikson returned Lee's one finger salute. "So, is it true, did he melt the Coldest Bitch in the Fleet's heart enough for her to grant him a favor?"

"Lieutenant, I will pretend you aren't talking about an Admiral like that and you will kindly pretend you know nothing of my sex life." The whooping and jeers from the gathered men and women earned them a stiff captain. Turning his back on them, he continued on to the command tent. The Admiral in charge of the operation would be there.

Glancing up when the tent flap was raised, Admiral Helion smirked at Lee. "It's nice of you to take the time out from your recreations to join us, Captain."

"Thank you, sir." Lee saluted him, feeling a little irritation at the man. It was one thing to be teased by his subordinates, they were young, it was expected. The admiral was a man his father's age, it was beyond embarrassing.

He felt weary. After months of going from one place to the next, never having time for rest, Gaeta was close to breaking. He needed to be free of it all, he needed time to himself. Waiting for the admiral to render her verdict was not helping his nerves any.

Scanning over the folder in front of her, Cain had to admit he was thorough. Everything she had asked for and more was in there, right down to a psychological profile based upon his reactions to stress and imminent death. "I wasn't aware your skills included psychology."

"I was trained to be an officer. Knowing the minds of those who I serve with is essential to the success of that job." Gaeta didn't understand why she above all others was unaware of this.

"Still, that isn't a required course for the standard tactical trainee." Unless they had changed things since she went through the academy. She hardly doubted it, but if this was the result, it was worth looking in to. Closing the folder, she put it on her desk. "Excellent. Report to the starboard hangar, a Raptor is waiting to take you back to Caprica. I will contact you again when we have your next mission."

"You will not be contacting me again." Walking to the hatch, he threw it open and stepped out. He slammed it shut behind him.

Teeth grinding, Cain spun her chair to reach the comm button. Slamming her fist in to it, she leaned in close so they could hear her clearly. "Do it!" There would be no helping them if they failed her this time. No one told her no.

The first thing Gaeta became aware of was that he was cold. His clothes were missing, he deduced by the breeze he could feel against his body. It was a constant breeze, yet gentle. His hair swayed in the wind, brushing his ears and forehead. Opening his eyes, he saw a moon over head so bright it lit up the night sky in a faded red.

In the light, he could see a beech for miles on either side of him. Ahead of him the ocean lay seemingly endless in its vastness. Beyond what he could see there was darkness. In no direction could he see any sign of civilization.

"It's beautiful, isn't it."

Spinning around, Gaeta came face to face with Natasi. She stood at arm's distance, as nude as he. He could detect no sexual interest in her body language and was silently grateful. Even here, wherever he was, she set his nerves on edge. The woman was unnatural, each movement hesitant as if she was remembering how a woman was supposed to move. He took a step back as she came towards him.

Instead of moving to intercept him, she stepped off to the side. "No human has ever landed upon these shores. God has kept it in trust for his chosen children." With each step, she left no trace in the sand.

Glancing down at his own feet, Gaeta noticed they weren't really touching the sand either. Strangely enough, despite the lack of contact, he could feel each particle of sand under him. Taking a test step, he tried to see if he could scatter sand. It didn't work, but he did move.

"At first, I couldn't understand what fascinated me so much about you. There were a million reasons to despise you on sight simply for your race, yet you intrigued me." Frowning, she held out her hand for him. When he made no effort to accept it, she took his hand in hers. "God has plans for all his children, but not all of them are for the better. We few are fortunate to bare witness to his greatness, Gaeta."

"How do you know my name?" He tried to take his hand back from her, but her grip was solid and unyielding. Panic blossomed in his chest. "What are you doing?"

Suddenly, she looked up at the sky. A serenity settled over her features at what she saw.

Curiosity winning out over fear, Gaeta followed her gaze. At first he couldn't make out what he was seeing, there were too many of them. Then, as the moonlight glinted off their sides, he knew.

Leaning in close to him, she whispered in his ear. "The count down has begun, Humanity's days are numbered."

The words were out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. "By your command."

He was halfway drunk and well on his way to getting fully there. Three months was how long since Felix had disappeared without a trace, his duffle still in the closet with his clothes and papers. Two months since he had been given a week's leave and found out about him. One month since Zak had taken a nose dive through the atmosphere, blowing himself to hell in a Viper.

Unable to continue, Lee had simply refused to answer any of his communiques, letters, summons, even knocks at his door. Every time he saw someone he knew at the midnight liquor market down the block, he would simply walk out and find another store. He had been placed on administrative leave until he worked these problems out. Didn't seem like he wanted to ever do that, so his leave might as well be early retirement.

Upending his bottle, he tried to suck the life out of it, but was thwarted when he found the bottle was already empty. Tossing it away, he swayed in his seat. Even the liquor bottles were conspiring with fate against him. There had to be another bottle within arm's reach. He began feeling around for it. It took him a minute to realize he wasn't making the thumping sound, but that it was coming from his rear door.

Thinking he could pursued whoever it was to go get him another bottle, Lee stumbled to the door. He wanted to be drunk, but was too drunk to walk to the store. Throwing the extra latches he had placed on the door after his mother refused stay away, he slid aside to open the door. When he opened it, he saw no one in the hall. If his senses weren't so deadened by the alcohol, he would have screamed louder when a wet hand clutched his leg.

As it was, Lee fell over back wards trying to get away from the hand. Trying to focus his blurry vision, he thought he recognized who it was. Tentatively, he crawled over to Gaeta, taking in his appearance. Bleeding from his eyes and ears, Gaeta was a ghastly sight that made his stomach roll in fear. "What happened?"

On the floor, clutching the door jam for support, Gaeta reached out to Lee. The words he was saying were barely audible.

Frowning, Lee came in closer. "I can't understand you." He was grabbed by the front of his shirt, pulled in close so Gaeta could whisper in his ear.

"They're coming!"

THE END...


	2. An Ocean Away

Title: An Ocean Away

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 22961

Prompt:

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe

Summary: With the revelation of the impending Cylon Invasion, Felix resigns himself to a life with Lee.

Author's Note: Gaeta never served on the Galactica.

"It's chamalla poisoning, plain and simple." After signing the register, the doctor handed it back to the nurse. Turning to Lee, he smiled to comfort him while placing a hand on his shoulder. "We got him in time that there won't be any permanent side effects. He's very lucky, I've seen Oracles die from lesser doses."

"How much did he ingest?" Relief caused Lee's body to sag in his chair. Unshaven and suffering through his hangover, Lee knew he looked like hell.

"None. It was an injection." Taking the chart off the end of the bed, he examined it. "Let's see. Pure chamalla extract, fifteen times the lethal dose, that can't be right." Frowning, he checked the numbers again, doing the calculations mentally. "I could have sworn that said one-point-five. It will take a little longer for it to clear his system, but he should be right as rain."

"Thank you, doctor." Dismissing the man from his thoughts, Lee went back to focusing on Gaeta. He was pale and thin, constantly shaking in his bed and Lee felt helpless looking at him.

"I am sorry, Mr. Adama, but there is something we have to deal with." He waited until Lee looked at him again before speaking. "There are signs he was restrained for a long period of time. That makes it questionable whether he took the chamalla extract of his own free will. The police will have to be notified."

"All right, just keep this low key." It was one step too far. He didn't care what anyone thought any more, he needed contact. Ignoring the doctor, Lee lifted the blankets beside Gaeta, and rolled him on his side. Climbing in behind him, he brought the man back against his chest. Pressing a kiss in Gaeta's curls, he stroked his shoulders to comfort him despite the fact he was unconscious.

The doctor was about to protest, but a look from Lee silenced him. Nodding, he backed out of the room and turned off the light.

Coming awake, Felix blinked his eyes. Something was wrong, he was not where he was supposed to be. The beeping of a heart monitor drew his attention to the side of his bed. He was in a hospital. Since he couldn't see any other beds, that meant he had a private room. Along with a private room came a handset.

Reaching out proved almost an insurmountable task due to exhaustion. Several of his attempts ended in his arm hanging off the bed. Opening his eyes, he scanned the dark room for the bedside table. It was there, he just hadn't reached it. In his next attempt at capturing it, his hand fell short, but hit something else in its place.

The lights came on a moment later and a woman in a blue uniform entered. "What can I do for you, Mr. Gaeta?"

Too tired to protest much, he allowed her to put him on his back and pull up the blankets. As she started to back away, he caught her hand. "They're coming, we have to warn them."

"Who is coming?" Mildly alarmed, she kept up a calm demeanor. Some times patients dreamed things, but some times they were right. He had been attacked, after all.

"The cylons. They're coming." Releasing her hand, Felix yawned. When he opened his eyes, he found her injecting something in to his IV line. "No! You have to warn them. You..."

Patting his shoulder, she put him back under the blankets. "I know, Gaeta, I know." Turning around, she pushed a lock of her blonde hair off her face.

"We're moving." Running a brush through Gaeta's hair, Lee grinned. The reaction he could see in the hand mirror made him want to break out in fits of laughter. "Don't look at me that way. Every time I go away something happens and it's weeks or months between the next time I see you again."

Barely able to hold the mirror up so he could see what Lee was doing to his hair, Gaeta frowned at it. "And just where are you taking me?"

"We're going to Pycon." He jerked out another knot in the mess that was Gaeta's hair. "I've been offered a promotion to CAG of Charybdis Base. It's a great career opportunity for me."

Gaeta was silent for a minute. Taking his time to rest before he felt the need to explode in a rage he didn't have the strength for. There were other important things than worrying about on what colony they would live. The fact that Lee cared enough to drag him along was important. Patting Lee's leg, he sighed. "Fine."

"Good, now on to other things. Since you will essentially my little woman, I expect you to..." He broke off laughing as Gaeta's hand dug in his thigh. Since the other man was fatigued, it didn't hurt. They were lying in Gaeta's hospital bed, him helping groom his lover out of the need to be useful.

Gaeta had been there for four days, or so the doctor had said. He couldn't remember two of those days and spent most of the third day drowsing. So far, he had drawn a blank for the previous three months. Since he really couldn't tell what he had been doing during his last memory, he had lied about that.

He knew something was bothering Lee. Something had happened while he was gone and it had pushed Lee over the emotional edge. Lee was clean shaven now, but when he had first woken, it was to a scraggly man. Every time he tried to engage the man, he changed the subject. "What does your family think of our move? I know you are close to Zak, he might feel..."

"Zak's dead." Tugging on Gaeta's hair, he pulled the man's head back so he could look him in the eyes. "Leave it, Felix, please."

He saw such pain in those eyes, Gaeta hurt for him. Despite the weariness it cost him, Felix slid an arm up around Lee's neck, pulling him down. Lee's face against his neck, he hugged him as tight as he could.

Tears came to Lee's eyes. He quickly wrapped his arms around Gaeta's chest, returning the hug. "Don't leave me again, please. Just, never again."

"Are you asking me to marry you?" He meant it in jest, something to lighten the mood, but Lee nodded against his skin. Breath catching, Felix closed his eyes. It was wrong, they weren't ready. They were never ready for any of this. "All right."

Holding the handset to his ear, Lee waited for the base comm officer to pick up. He figured while he was at his apartment selecting clothes for him and Felix, he might as well make a few calls. He knew it had been a while, but he was ready to move on with his life again. When the comm officer responded he had his message clearly thought out. "Yeah, Lieutenant Thrace please."

"I'm sorry, sir, but Lieutenant Thrace has been reassigned. Who is calling that I may transfer you?"

"Transferred?" For a moment he could barely think about it, the idea was too alien to him. Frowning, he remembered there was someone waiting. "Uh, this is Captain Adama."

"Captain, I am surprised you didn't know. Your father requested her personally. I will reroute you now to the Galactica."

Galactica. That one word brought up enough emotional baggage that Lee almost slammed the handset down. However, he was already on the line, he might as well go through with it.

"This is the BattleStar Galactica, I am transferring you to the pilot's wardroom. Please stand by, Captain Apollo."

Lee took a deep breath. Then he took another. He hadn't figured it would be this hard trying to talk to his friend. He waited four rings before his resolve faltered and he was ready to give up.

"Starbuck here, this had better be important." Her voice was tense with anger.

"Nice to hear from you too, Lieutenant." His ire was up. They were supposed to be friends, friends told each other things. "When were you going to tell me you transferred to the Commander's boat?"

"When were you going to pull your head out of your ass long enough to listen? You weren't the only one who lost someone dear that day." Glaring back over her shoulder as the wardroom went silent, Kara flipped off the others.

Lee felt like gnawing off his own arm because his hand refused to put the handset down. "I know this is a little hard for someone like you to understand, but there were other things..."

"No, you don't understand! You were my friend, he was my fiance! You were supposed to be there for me and all you did was cut everyone off. I waited weeks and still no call, no comm, not even a letter. When the old man asked, I said yes because he was the only one willing to give me the time of day! Now, if you can't get over yourself to realize this wasn't only about you, then you can go frak yourself!"

"You're right, Kara, as usual." Snarling with disgust, he knew she did have a point, to a point. "Then again, turn your argument back on you. Where the hell were you and Zak when I needed you? You didn't even so much as bat an eye when I told you he was missing."

"What? What are you talking about?" Frowning at the handset, Kara tried to recall what he was talking about. Then it came in stunning, clear memories. "Daphne?"

"I found him five days ago, Kara. Whoever had him," he swallowed, his voice cracking. "They tried to kill him."

She went silent.

"Kara?" When she still didn't respond, he stared at the handset in shock. The line cackled with static before it went dead. Setting it down in the cradle, he couldn't believe it. She was gone, his best friend had hung up on him.

Lee had to force his body to move. Felix was depending on him. Robotically, he marched to the door and out. Climbing in the lift, he was still too dazed to believe it.

In his apartment, the handset rang.

Standing at attention next to Gaeta, Lee held his hand as the priestess wrapped the golden chain around their wrists. He was in his uniform while Gaeta wore his suit. It was baggy on his still thin frame, but at least he could stand now. Leaning on the cane, he kept most of his weight with Lee.

The priestess was an old friend of Lee's aunt, she was currently serving as an advisor to Adar. When he learned she was visiting a friend at the hospital, he had asked her to officiate the ceremony.

Smiling at them both, Elosha, joined their hands together. "As the gods have set down upon the world since the joining of Epimethius and Pandora, the first humans, we have bound to each other. Seeking the halves of each soul, two become one in the eternal union of matrimony. May your union be strong, fruitful, and eternal. So say we all."

"So say we all." The benediction was echoed by the occupants of the hospital's temple.

Happiness flushing him, the blood rushed from his head and Felix swooned in to Lee's grasp. He had to be helped in to a wheel chair by an orderly and Lee. Holding Lee's hand, he smiled for him. "Thank you, Lee."

"Anything for the new Mrs. Adama." He grinned even as Felix found the strength to glare at him. Chuckling, he took the handles of the wheel chair and guided him away from the temple. "What do you think she meant by fruitful?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yawning, Felix patted Lee's hand. "She wants you to plant an orchard."

The transport arrived early in the morning. Lee had been expecting it, but not the army of privates that piled out of it. He had to hand it to them as he watched from the side lines. They knew what they were doing and how to do it efficiently. In thirty minutes, everything he had earmarked for taking was wrapped, crated, and loaded. Everything happened so quickly, his neighbors weren't even aware what was going on.

Taking one last look around his apartment, Lee spent a great deal of time in his father's room, staring at the tapestry. In his mind he could picture the look on his face when Caroline had given it to him. There was so much pride and happiness, Lee had thought he would never see such emotions from his father again. Closing the door on the room he locked it.

He had been right.

The transport Bellindie was an old workhorse left over from the cylon war era. Kept in top shape, her captain was especially proud of her. Lee knew the Commander would have spoke to the man on her, but he kept to himself. He wasn't his father.

Glancing to his right, Lee allowed himself the time to enjoy staring at his new husband. It was still a bit surreal to him. Everything about him was neat and efficient, despite the fact he still couldn't dress himself without help. Out of a need to make him real, Lee twisted a curl at Felix's temple out of place. The gel kept it stiff and in the form he molded it in to. Grinning, Lee quickly stared ahead.

Felix was perfectly aware of what Lee was up to. When the man's head was turned, he put the curl back in place. Of course, the action required immediate retaliation. Stretching, he let his arms drop over Lee's shoulders. His questing fingers soon found the rank insignia. Deft in his actions, he removed it. Moving to the other side, he removed the insignia there too, then let his arm drop to the rest.

Lee frowned. He knew the action had been wrong from how long it lingered. His hand quickly went up to his shoulder to check if anything had been smeared on him and found the pins missing. Turning to Felix, he saw the man grin at him, his rank insignia between his teeth. Holding out his hand, he gave a mock stern glare.

Felix spit them in to Lee's hand with as much saliva as possible. When Lee ran that through his hair, Felix smacked him in the gut and tried to rearrange his curls again. He didn't anticipate Lee taking advantage of his arms being up and tickling him.

The captain had to come back personally and tell them to keep it down. This was repeated several times over the four hour journey to Pycon. Eventually, the captain had ordered a FTL jump just to get there faster and get them off his ship.

Handset against his ear, Felix coiled the line nervously. He had been on for a half hour, trying to get through. So far, all his attempts were met with false luck. This was his last try, a direct line to her home.

Finally the other line picked up. "Metahart, who is this?"

"Admiral, so nice to hear from you." Felix was proud all he did was make his voice patronizing. "I have something I need to tell you."

"Who is this?" Her voice betrayed her age in the crackle due to her anger.

Felix put on his sunglasses to block out the sunlight as a curtain across the room was thrown open. "That isn't important. The message is as follows: Armistice broken, the children of humanity are returning." A flashing light indicated their transport had arrived. Holding his hand over the receiver, he tried to keep all other sounds out. "There was no date for the information, just the warning. What you do with this knowledge is up to you."

He hung up, and turned up his collar. The northern hemisphere of the planet was in winter and he wasn't taking any chances. As he limped to Lee's side, he smiled for his husband. "They weren't home, I had to leave a message on her machine. Shall we go?"

Their first day at the new base was a disaster.

"I'm sorry, sir, but according to the official fleet personnel records, you are not married, thus not entitled to the house." Shuffling her papers, the base clerk looked for the correct form. Upon finding it, she spun her chair to face Lee and Felix again. She handed it to him over the counter. "Fill this out, get it authorized by your commander, I will file it, and the admiralty will officially notarize it."

Putting a hand to his forehead, Lee grit his teeth to keep from yelling at her.

Being a quick study of Lee's body language, Felix stepped in between him and the counter. He quickly sized her up from the appearance of her uniform. "You will have to forgive the Captain, he's a pilot." Taking the form, Felix began to fill it out. At the bottom where the signature was required from the C.O., he handed it to Lee. "Take this to your C.O., I will handle the rest."

Lee knew when he was out of his depth. Giving a mock salute to Felix, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Waiting until Lee was gone, Felix turned his full attention on the bored clerk. He leaned across the counter to get her attention. "What is the situation?"

"Former Captain's wife hasn't got her shit out of the house. Is pursing legal action to keep her place and support. It's out of my hands." Stamping a pack of documents, she readied them to be signed. "Colonel Augusta is two months from retirement, he's leaving the decision up to his successor."

"What can you get me on short notice and what will it cost me?" He knew he had her when she put the stack of forms in the wrong tray.

After correcting her mistake, she looked up at him. "Your husband is quite well known. His feud with his father is legendary."

"Ah, double the normal price, I can tell already." The familiarity between them slipping in, he grinned at her. "What did you do to earn a place among the supply clerks, Amalthea?"

"Triple." The Lieutenant studied her finger nails with a frown. "I have a week's leave coming up. Memphis sounds nice this time of year."

"A week at Hedonism Exhibition?" His tastes ran directly opposite, but he knew that many people enjoyed it. "Fine. In return, you also keep my name off the form. It is signed the way I want it officially."

"Done." Sitting back in her chair, she placed her feet up on the desk. "Nice doing business with you."

"My keys?" Holding out his hand, he shared a grin with her. He knew the place had already been set up, their stuff waiting to be unpacked. Judging from the price, she had probably set them up in one of the senior officer's cabins.

"The front door will need to be replaced. Major Coburn didn't go easily." Handing the keys over, she let her fingers linger over his palm. "Such a waste, I hope he enjoys you."

"Never happening." Taking his keys, he walked out of the clerk's office to wait for Lee. Charybdis Base was above the arctic circle, making it frozen most of the year. Lucky for them, they had arrived at the beginning of the frost and could enjoy the next eight months of winter delight.

By the time Lee had gotten back from his orientation meeting with his new squad, Felix had the entire house set up with the things Lee had brought. It was similar in size to the rooms the possessions belonged in, thus arranging had been easy. The one major difference in placement was the plaque that used to reside in Lee's underwear drawer. Felix had placed it on the wall above a fire place between pictures of Lee's family.

Taking in the appearance of the house, Lee knew it was a stark contrast to what it had been that morning. Despite that, it felt like he was coming home. Every where he looked, he would become disoriented if he moved too quickly. His possessions were the same, their location was similar, but the dimensions and colors were wrong. It would take some getting used to it.

"I am getting the paint tomorrow. With the right shading, I should be able to settle some of the disorientation." Felix felt in his element as he handed Lee a summary report of their housing and official status with the base. There were several things they needed to stock the house, but he had those on another list. Handing it to Lee when he finished reading the report, he gave him a pen. "Add things you can think of we will need."

"Everything looks in order." A smile came to his lips as Felix began to undo his uniform. "Let me guess, you've drawn up a schedule and put in time for sex."

"Yes, the appropriate requisition forms are filled out in triplicate on your desk awaiting approval." Lee thought he was kidding, that would change went he for a pencil or pen. After Lee had put on a few items including shoe polish, Gaeta took back the list and signed it.

Lee frowned at Felix's actions. "Why did you sign that?"

"It's a requisition form." Removing it from the clipboard, he slipped it in to a stack of papers next to the door on a table. "Amalthea's idea. She can add it to the base supplies that get delivered once a month and it is automatically deducted from your pay. Anything else you need that isn't on the list you can obtain at the commissary."

"Well, I guess that will work." Peeling off his flight suit, Lee shrugged it off. He was pleasantly surprised when Felix came back to his side, wrapping his arms about Lee's waist. "Did you miss me?"

"There was a moment or two." He chuckled as Lee's hands roamed down to cup his bottom. "Now, Mr. Adama, you're a married man. What would your wife think?"

"Naughty Nurse or Disobedient Secretary?" Feeling up Felix's back, he discovered a band around his chest. "Oh, evil double agent!" Grinning, he slid his hands in Felix's shirt, removing the recorder and it's belt. "How long were you going to wear that?"

"Long enough to get blackmail material." Taking the contraption from Lee, he pinched him on the ass and walked in to the dining area. "Dinner is almost ready. Be sure to check your desk before dinner."

"Right." Sighing as Felix disappeared from sight, Lee walked towards the living room. Off to the right there was a small bedroom that had been converted in to a study. Upon seeing what was on top of his desk, Lee paused, frowned, then snorted. "Okay, now you've gone completely out of your mind with this."

"If you want sex, check the box and sign the forms." Putting down the forks, he had a hard time not laughing.

"I don't think half of these things are possible given your sex." Marking the boxes next to the items he wanted to try that night, he signed the forms, all three of them. "Where do I put these?"

"By the bed, of course." This time he didn't stop himself and held on to a chair for support as he cackled.

"Of course."

"Okay, I get it." Kissing Felix's shoulder, Lee luxuriated in the warmth of their bed. He had gotten everything he had checked off on the list plus a good night kiss. It made a day of endless scrutiny bearable. He didn't want to think about what he would be doing without Felix in his life, taking his mind off everything that had happened. Hugging Felix tight, he enjoyed the grunt he let out.

"You get what?" When he could breath again, Felix fought against the need to squirm. Lee was already hard again. Six months ago he would have cheered Lee on, right now, he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

"You need something for yourself. The question now is, how can I help?" It wasn't something he had thought about before. There had no thinking about the future beyond what he already had achieved until now. With everything that had happened in the month since Felix came back in to his life, he hadn't the time to think.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. It's nice that you noticed, but really, not tonight." He felt more than heard Lee sigh. They could deal with things in the morning. Pulling the covers over his shoulder, he snuggled back in to Lee. "Sleep."

"Fine, but don't complain to me that I don't try to talk." Rubbing his hand up Felix's side, Lee let him fall asleep. Watching as his husband's chest rose and fell, he wanted nothing more than to lay there for all eternity. "I think I love you."

Lee sat at the table eating his breakfast. He felt a little guilty that Felix was doing all the cooking and cleaning, but that passed with how good breakfast was. It was warmed up leftovers from the night before with cheese served in a flat bread. 'So he hadn't really gone to too much trouble,' Lee thought.

Sitting at the table naked as the day he was born, he knew his mother would have a heart attack if she saw him. A pang of guilt hit him and he realized he hadn't spoken to Felix yet. Swallowing his breakfast regretfully, he cleared his throat. "Um, breakfast is great, really great. My mother is coming for a visit at the end of the month. Is there any more?"

"I know, I made it myself. I already heard and filled out the appropriate forms for the land mines to put in her bed. As a matter of fact, there is just enough for you to have some." Leaning over Lee's shoulder, he up ended his pan on to Lee's plate. "The bread is hot, wait til it cools before you eat it."

"I like it hot." Putting a piece in his mouth, Lee held his mouth open and breathed carefully to let it cool.

"Do you realize how ridiculous you look doing that?" Sitting down to his own, Felix picked at it with the fork until it was in bite size chunks. "While we are making a breakfast table confessional, I've already made arrangements to continue my studies. I will assist the base doctor in his duties as long as he can tutor me through my degree."

"Sounds like you had a busy day yesterday." Shifting on his seat, Lee reached down to tug on his balls. The chair was making them itch. When he looked up, he caught Felix watching his movements. "What?"

"Hurry up." He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, in a clear signal of his intentions.

Setting his fork down, Lee cleared his throat again. "This can wait."

Rosy cheeked with half lidded eyes, Lee kissed Felix's lips twice before backing away. "You were wonderful, Felix." He pulled the zip up on his flight suit before walking out the front door. "I will see you tonight."

"Tonight." Touching his lips, Felix closed the door and went in to the dining room. Their cold breakfast was still on the table, Lee having run out of time before he could finish. Smiling, he picked up his fork and sat down to eat.

"You can't stop us, you know that." From her place on the kitchen counter, Six picked up an apple out of the bowl.

"I don't have to." Putting the bite in his mouth, he slowly chewed. The flavor was bland and the food rubbery in his mouth. Swallowing with a grimace he put the fork down. "All I have to do is prove you exist."

"How do you plan on doing that?" When he didn't respond, Six threw the apple at him. It missed hitting him, but bounced off the table and landed on the floor. "I asked you a question."

"When I do, they will know you are planning something. In turn, that will let them know you are coming." Turning to face her, he smirked at her scowl. "And all I will have to do is sit back and watch as they stop you."

"Think you've got it all planned out, do you?" Sliding off the counter, she stalked over to him. She took in his smug face and back handed him out of the chair. "Open your eyes!"

Felix gasped in pain. His face hurt and his body ached. Blinking to clear the blur from his eyes, he tried to focus on what was going on around him. When finally saw, it was to find a worried Lee standing over him. "Lee?"

Pulling Felix up off the floor to his chest, Lee rocked him gently, stroking his hair. "It's okay, you're all right now. You're all right." Running his hand through Felix's hair, he continued to calm his panicking heart. It hurt against his chest.

Closing the curtain, Dr. Suetonious smiled for his patient and his husband. "You are going to be just fine, Mr. Adama. The tests came back negative."

"Then what the hell happened?" Angry, Lee stood up to face the doctor down. The man was going to pay if he frakked up.

"It was a flash back." His tone made it sound like the most natural thing in the world. "It is a common occurrence for people who've taken drugs for a long period of time and stopped, or in your case, have ingested a massive quantity. This is simply your body continuing to remove the drug from your system. Eventually all of it will be gone, but until then, I would suggest having someone keep an eye on you in the future."

"How long can I expect to keep having these flash backs?" The very idea of it scared Felix. What if he got hurt the next time? "Is there any warning sign?"

"Frankly, I'm not sure. I've never encountered a case where someone ingested such high levels of Chamalla before. As for warnings, unfortunately they can be triggered at any time without notice." Sighing, the doctor figured it was best to lay it all out for him. "I'm afraid this means you can not be allowed to serve in my clinic." He held up a hand to forestall their responses. "I see no reason why you can't continue your studies, under my strict guidance. You will have limited access to the lab, only when I am in it and can verify your safety. That's the way it has to be."

Lee was going to protest, but Felix's hand on his arm prevented him. Gripping his hand in support, Lee nodded. "Very well. We would like to be alone now."

"Of course. Take all the time you need." Pulling back the curtain a bit, the doctor walked out and shut it behind him.

Lee waited a while after the doctor left before reacting. It had nearly killed him to come home and find Felix on the floor. Clasping his husband's hand in his own, he tried to come up with the words to express his feelings. There were so many nothing would come. In the end, he simply pulled Felix to him, kissing his forehead.

For his part, Felix felt relieved. It was a hallucination. He had been having hallucinations. They weren't real, they weren't coming. He was safe from the cylons.

"The base for all human genetics is the same. There is actually very little difference between the varied races and colonies. Each person can trace their origins to one or more of the twelve tribes through their genes." Changing the image on the screen from a cell to a picture of people, Dr. Suetonious gestured to it. "All these people share the same ancestor, one of the original colonists. While there is very little known of the lives of the settlers, we have come across the remains of a few. These people were tied to one by DNA tracing."

Jotting down the information in his book, Felix made mental comparisons to what he already knew. He had heard theories about tracing genetics when he left the course six years ago, but a lot had changed in that time. "How long will it normally take for a comparative genetic analysis?"

"Given the restrictions on technology, anywhere between twelve hours and ten days. It depends upon the purity of the samples." Clicking the remote again, the doctor changed the image to a bone fragment. "It took months to extract viable DNA from these remains, and they were preserved in permafrost."

"All right. What about the plants? Do they have an effect on our DNA?" At first, he didn't know why he asked. Seeing the house plant behind Dr. Suetonious, Felix got a clue and snorted.

"Everything in our environment effects our DNA. The plants we eat can trigger responses programmed in to our DNA, that reaction can kill in some instances." Suetonious had caught Felix's eye and knew where he was looking. "This plant is a perfect example. In most animals, the plant is harmless, in the human, the auto immune reaction can prove fatal."

"Funny, and here I was thinking it was just ugly." Laughing, Felix checked the time and closed his book. "Well, for our first session, how did I do?"

"Very well. I think you will have a degree in two years, a doctorate in four." Closing his lecture book, Suetonious picked it up and placed it in his leather satchel. It was one of a dozen that had been delivered the day before during the monthly supply drop for Felix's courses. "In these classes, most of what you will learn is the methods for mapping, extracting, and manipulating DNA. If you think about it, genetics is really a simple idea for such a complex set of variables."

"In a uterus, crack an egg, throw in a pinch of sperm, mix well, let bake for forty weeks, and tada, one baby!" Enjoying the joke, Felix gathered his books to him and rose. "Well, this has been most fascinating, Doctor. Thank you."

"My pleasure, young man. Make sure you read the materials I gave you at the beginning of our session. I will be testing you over them tomorrow." He watched as Felix walked out the door then followed him out. "I will see you tomorrow same time."

"Heavy freighter Amarna, this is colonial fleet patrol zero zero eight, your course will violate military space in thirty seconds. You are ordered to alter your heading immediately or be prepared to be fired upon. This is your last warning!" Checking his dradis console, Lee frowned. The freighter still hadn't shown any sign of responding after three minutes of repeated hails. "CAG to fighter squadron, open fire on my command. Take out her engines."

Counting down until the ship crossed the boundary line, he waited for the time. When the ship began to cross it, he took aim at it. "CAG to fighter squadron, take her out!" Pressing his own fire controls, he watched as one of the six drives was blown off the freighter.

Rolling from the sudden explosion, the ship veered off course. The other Vipers broke formation to pursue, taking their cues from Lee. One by one they began picking off the other engines until the freighter was tumbling adrift in space.

Lee flashed the communications lights on his Viper to signal his pilots to take up orbital formation. Watching as they took their sweet time, he frowned and wrote it down on his mark board. When they finally attained their positions, he signaled again. "Let's see how well you paid attention in flight school."

The first shots rang out from a Viper with an inexperienced pilot. He was closely followed by the rest. The resulting impacts caused the freighter to spin. The fuselage of the freighter clipped the wing of one of the Vipers sending it spinning in to the next one. The remaining Vipers fired their maneuvering thrusters to draw themselves away from the tumbling ship.

In a move of spite, Lee fired his guns at the freighter's power core until it exploded. As he figured, four of the remaining five undamaged Vipers were caught up in the shockwave, knocking out their engines. "Congratulations, roaches, you've been stomped! I think I'll let you rotate for a few hours while you think about what you did wrong." The control lights on his console let him know the environmental seals on the Vipers were still holding. "Anyone have to use the bathroom, I suggest you hold it!"

After sending out the signal for the carrier to come pick them up, but to take their time, he reached in to the pocket on the side of his Viper. The pocket usually only contained his clip board and the assignment sheets for their test flights. Today he had added a letter from Kara. If she had been there in person, he would have commented on how he never thought she was the literate type.

Cracking the seal, he pulled out the letter and opened it up. It was a single page with only a few words on it. He knew the quote on it by heart, it was from the sacred scrolls. "And Apollo punished Belerophon for his arrogance by cutting him down with his arrows until he fell back to the land, dead. For no man shall assume himself among their numbers based solely upon his deeds." Folding it back up, he placed it back in the envelope.

The message was clear and it wasn't from Kara. Putting the letter back in his pouch, he made a mental note to burn it when he was off the ship.

Exhausted, Lee opened the door to his house to find it a veritable jungle. He stood there openly gaping at the only greenery not covered in snow for miles, unable to think of what to do. A sneeze some where off in the thick of the forest of flowers and plants knocked him from his stupor. Wiping off his feet, he entered the house and closed the door.

A horrible grinding noise filled the house followed my many sneezes. "Damn," another sneeze, "it all to hell!"

"Daphne?" Lee carefully made his way through the rows of trees and potted palms that lined the entrance hall. In the front room, the living room, he found hundreds of hanging flowers falling from a dozen planters anchored to the ceiling. Scattered under them were various urns and vases filled with flowers. As he inhaled the overwhelming smell, his own nose became stuffed. "Where the hell did all these flowers come from?"

"Your mother's idea of a peace offering!" The grinding sound started again followed by another round of sneezes.

Lee followed the noise in to the kitchen. In the place of the table was a medium sized wood chipper. In his spare flight suit with goggles and gloves, Felix was feeding a bouquet in to the maul as the shreddings shot out the end in to a trash can. "I take it you don't approve?"

"I'm allergic to Corinthian Lilies." Shoving the next bundle in to the feeder, Felix wiped at his red nose.

"My mother's favorite." He felt the insane urge to giggle. There were at least sixty dozen of them piled on the table in neat stacks waiting to be shredded. "What about the others?"

"The base needs some color, Amalthea has agreed to spread them around tomorrow." Cheerfully shoving another arm load in to the chipper, Felix hummed to himself, until he sneezed. "Can you imagine, this handy little machine was just lying around collecting dust in a maintenance shed? Apparently they rarely use it because the growing season is so short." He tossed in the next batch of Lilies with gusto.

"Something tells me you're not forgiving my mother so easily." Lee had to cover his face with an arm as something plastic shot out of the wood chipper. "What did the card say?"

"How happy she was to hear her son had married someone with such a pretty name. Then she wondered how long it would be before she could expect grand children." Felix's expression took on a devilish appearance as he slowly fed a set of long stemmed lilies in to the feeder. "Do you know why your mother knows you married 'Daphne Adama'?"

"Because, as I recall, someone signed that as my spouse's name. After that, it is easy to surmise that she would keep an eye on me through her familial connections for two reasons. One, I am her only remaining child. Two, we left without telling her good bye." At Felix's glare, he waved it off with a growl. "You don't get it and probably never will. Just trust me, things could be a lot worse, they could still get that way. When she comes in two weeks, I want you to be on your best behavior. She's had enough stress in her life, you don't need to add to it!"

"Yes, sir!" After saluting Lee, Felix threw the last batch of flowers in to the chipper and stormed out of the kitchen. When he reached their bedroom, he slammed the door shut and locked it behind him. If Lee wanted to be a commanding dick, then he could command his dinner to make itself.

In a fit of rage, Lee kicked the chipper. This only served to heighten his anger so he grabbed the nearest thing and beat it until the motor shut down. Panting as the engine died, Lee glanced down at what he held. It had been a metal urn. Wrapped around the neck was a ribbon and a note.

Removing the note, he flipped it over to see if his mother had written him a message. What he found made him wish the wood chipper was still working. Closing his eyes, he tossed the note in the trash can, then carried the can out the back door. He pushed the wood chipper out the back, uncaring that it fell off the steps in to the snow. Lee slammed the door and threw the bolt.

After he resettled the dinner table and chairs, he walked in to the kitchen to begin dinner. In the silence of the house he heard the sound of Felix in the bedroom. To drown out the crying, he flipped on the media network feed from Caprica and went about his business.

It was after midnight when Lee slipped in to their bedroom. Striping down to his boxer briefs, he slipped in to bed next to Felix. As he curled up behind his husband, Lee wrapped an arm over his waist. His other arm came up beneath Felix's neck to support his head. He sighed as Felix rolled over in his arms to face him.

"You found the note." He could still hear the ranting Lee had done while fixing dinner, yelling at his invisible mother.

"I used it to kill the wood chipper." Sliding his hand up in to Felix's curls, he drew him close. Slowly, he pressed their lips together, heated breath flowing over his skin. When he pulled back, he licked his lips. "Listen to me closely. She's wrong. It will never happen."

Closing his eyes, Felix didn't trust in that word.

He wasn't sure how it happened. It was two in the morning, he had to be up in four hours. The only visible lights came through the windows, yet it was enough to see. Sliding his hands up Felix's chest, Lee slowly melded their bodies together. Together, they swayed slowly in a circle, listening to the music on the television Lee had left on.

Every few turns, a part of their bare flesh would catch in the lamp light. Pressing his lips to Felix's neck, he hummed in time with the music. It was slow and tender, making his heart skip every couple of beats. Breaking apart, he spun Felix around to face him.

Felix was almost heart broken. The look on Lee's face made him ache inside, longing to be back in his arms. "Don't let go."

"Never." Swaying his hips, Lee pulled Felix in to his arms again. This time, his fingers slid down the other's back, over his butt and between his legs, then back up. Letting his head rest on Felix's shoulder, he went back to swaying to the music. They would get through this.

Double checking his results, Felix knew they were correct. He had repeated the experiment four times. Every time he got the same results. It was impossible to dispute. Jotting down the results on to his test sheet, he signed his name at the bottom and handed it to Dr. Suetonious.

For his part, Suetonious scanned over the series of sheets attached to the clip board with a critical eye. After he reread the fourth set of results, he set the board down next to Felix. "High quality work, but your conclusions are wrong. Better luck next time."

"Check again." Holding up the clip board, Felix glared at the man. He knew he was right, there wasn't a mistake in the calculations. "This man is not a relative to the base sample."

Not bothering to check the results again, Dr. Suetonious effected a stern demeanor. "There is a ninety-nine percent genetic match among the base chromosomal sequence. There is no denying the fact they are related."

"There is a ninety-seven percent match. They share a similar genetic anomaly which is deceiving the computer read outs. The physical match up clearly shows the differences. The anomaly, which appears in both samples, is caused by an environmental factor, not a direct genetic link." Pointing to his research, he almost smiled when the doctor took the clip board again.

Examining the physical comparison, which he had skipped in favor of the computer readouts, Dr. Suetonious frowned. He checked each of the four results carefully before setting the clip board down. "You're right. How did you know?"

"I've worked with the GenieAcad before. The sensors are notorious for missing the obvious, depending too much on the chemical readouts. I would suggest requisitioning a GeneDex, it is a little more expensive, but with less of a risk of making another mistake." Felix knew the doctor was full of questions about his knowledge, but his life depended upon not revealing too much. The man would simply have to content himself with Felix's work and recommendations.

Rising from his stool, he stretched and moaned. It had been a long series of days studying and preparing for today's test. After working two weeks with the old man, Felix had learned practically nothing he didn't already know. Even the few tidbits of medical knowledge he let Felix examine were already covered in his past experience. "Can we move on to the next series tomorrow, doc? I have to deal with the mother-in-law tonight and am, frankly, exhausted."

"Actually, Mr. Adama, I believe we are finished." Putting the teacher's aide back in his satchel, Dr. Suetonious locked the leather case. "Aside from a few routine tests to determine your proficiency in the matter, I don't see why we can't skip ahead to the finals."

"There has to be more in those books than this." Felix frowned. He knew he hadn't learned everything there was to know about Genetics, it was simply impossible.

"Certainly, and you can read them at your own leisure. What I am saying is that your experience in these matters far surpasses that of my own and I can teach you no more. I will administer the tests, but I have little doubt they will be a waste of time. The results will only show what I already know." Carrying his satchel to the door, the doctor smiled at Felix. "You are already a geneticist in all but name. Once you have completed the finals, not even that will be a problem. If you wish to get another degree, I would be happy to mentor you. Don't make up your mind now, wait until tomorrow. Until then, good night, Mr. Adama."

Felix sat down stunned. He couldn't believe it. Who knew there was a use for the past year of his life?

Entering his home, Felix felt a little light headed and his vision seemed cloudy. When he saw a few pink hearts float over the flight suit hanging next to the door he knew he was having a flashback. Unlike last time, this one seemed to be functional and not leave him a drooling idiot in his doorway. He decided to take things slowly and see if it would pass without assistance.

Taking off his jacket, he hung it next to Lee's flight suit, stroking the cold resistant material lovingly. Then it hit him. The familiar scent of expensive perfume. Closing his eyes, he saw hundreds of arrows fall around him and swayed a little.

"Drunk already? I'd have thought you at least waited until I started talking." Standing in the doorway of the living room, Caroline had a clear view of Felix's actions. Her tone was meant to be teasing, but it dropped to disappointment when he swayed again. "I should have guessed."

"Correction, you are a guest, which means you will abide by those rules or you will be thrown out on your ass." Felix knew well the ancient rules of hospitality. No guest should make unreasonable demands of their host. Fending off her bitch of an opinion was unreasonable. Turning around despite his better judgement, he snorted as he tried to cover up a laugh.

Caroline looked down, not seeing what was so funny. "Are you on something?"

"Chamalla flashback," he said with a dreamy tone. Waving his fingers at her, he narrowed his eyes and grinned. "You are covered in shit and flies."

"Oh. Oh! Damn, Lee warned me about those. Perhaps you should come sit down. I am terribly sorry, I shouldn't have assumed anything until I knew the whole truth." Rushing to his side, Caroline grabbed him by the arm and shoulders to help guide him in to the dining room. Much to her surprise, he went without any resistance. "How long will this last?"

"I'm not sure. Last time was all day, but then I had passed out at the time, so I think this is a marked improvement. Wouldn't you agree?" Not really interested, he reached out to finger the plants as they passed them. He hadn't let Amalthea take the trees and palms. Since most of the flowers would have been dead by now, he hadn't felt guilty getting rid of all of them. In the living room, the place was still draped in hanging vines that had shed their flowers a few days ago. "If you see a group of parrots, I think you should stop taking your happy pills." Felix laughed so hard at his own joke that he fell from Caroline's grip.

She stood there over him frowning. He was already too heavy as it was. Getting him up off the floor was going to be too much of a challenge. "You lie there, I will get you a pillow for your head."

"You know, killing her right now would be so easy." Kneeling down beside Felix, Six's shirt spread open. When he didn't sneak a peek, she frowned and sat back out of his viewing range. "Human bodies are so fragile, a few well placed blows and no one would know. One is all you really need to do the job, but what's the fun in a quick death?"

Felix giggled.

"I'm so glad I could amuse you." Sighing with disgust, Six leaned back on one arm. "She despises you, you know. There will come a time in the future that she will pressure Lee with just the right amount of force that he will give in and drop kick you out of his life. Then where will you be?"

"She won't live that long. None of them will." That made him laugh even harder, rolling on his side to help ease his breathing.

"True. The day is coming when all of them will be wiped out." Resting her fingers on his forehead, she began to tap out a repeating rhythm. "I guess the real question is can you wait that long?"

"Here we are!" Holding the pillow triumphantly, Caroline knelt down beside Felix. Unknowingly, she mirrored Six's original position. Lifting his head, she placed the pillow underneath. "There, that should hold. Now, if you tell me what we were having for dinner, I can go about making it."

"Not making, Lee is bringing home with him." Eyes suddenly heavy, Felix fell unconscious.

After watching Felix for a minute, Caroline glanced over to the woman. "I'm sorry, dear, what were we talking about again?"

"The effects of the Adar administration. You thought he had a lot to learn, I said he would never learn." Rising from the floor, Six grinned at Caroline. "And, please, call me Amalthea, all my friends do."

When he awoke, there was a cool cloth applied to his brow. He moaned from the relief in his headache as Lee's fingers slid over his temple. "Don't stop."

"Your wish is my command." Rubbing at Felix's temples, Lee let his fingers slide over all of his skin. "You really scared the hell out of my mother."

"Good." He began to drift off under his husband's ministrations. This was far more pleasant than the last time and there weren't any strange hallucinations around either.

Lee was exasperated. After calming his mother down and making sure she was entertained by her new best friend in the whole wide colonies, he had carried Felix in to their bedroom. He felt a little self conscious at having to take care of his sick husband, but that was a worthless emotion. He wasn't a kid any more, it wasn't his problem to take care of his mother and keep her from being sad any more. The memory of seeing Felix unconscious on the floor made his heart ache and took away the old childish need of her approval.

As Lee released him, Felix felt a grin tug his lips. "Thank you."

"Any time." Lee sat there watching him for a moment, enjoying the peace between them. His husband was so beautiful to him in that moment, he was grateful to him for being in his life. Not wanting to disturb him, Lee climbed off the bed and moved for the door.

Rolling over, Felix tugged at the covers around him. "Love you, Lee."

Closing his eyes, Lee forced himself to go out and face his mother again.

Having set up a cot for his mother in the guest room, Lee went in to the kitchen to wash the dishes. After a tense meal with her and Amalthea, the latter had gone back to her bunk in the barracks. That left him and his mother to talk about life after. He had told her as much as he could without revealing too many details about his life.

In the guest room/study, he heard his mother arranging her trunk of clothes and pieces. There was a bathroom in the guest room, which would keep her from taking up the one off the living room. He knew the counter in it was too small for all her beauty concoctions and hair supplies, but couldn't be brought to care. Her incessant need to be on the cutting edge of beauty was sickening.

She would no doubt want a tour of the base. Her connections with the Admiralty would ensure she probably already had the permission. There would be something lacking, there was always something about the military she found lacking. It stemmed from her constant feud with his father, how she was never enough for him. Much like his mother, Lee got defensive and blamed the group rather than the real cause.

Putting the last of the dry dishes back in the cabinet, Lee wiped off his hands and put the dish towel in the handle of the stove. He loved his mother, he really did, but some times he wished she wasn't such an unhappy bitch. If only she would find someone that would bring back up her spirits he could finally stop feeling guilty about it.

Turning out the light, he snorted.

His mother being happy, that would never happen.

"Your options here are limited, I know, but there could be worse things in life." Dr. Suetonious finished grading the second round of tests he had been using on Felix with an astonished expression. "This is quite remarkable. Not even I knew half of these without the book."

"That's me, Mr. Special." Fiddling with the paper that was left over from having to break the seal on his test booklet, Felix tried to form it in to a tiny tiger. He always liked tigers.

Taking off his glasses with a sigh, Dr. Suetonious glanced over at Felix. "Are you going to take this serious?"

"Probably not. I've met all the qualifications, I'm a certified geneticist. Send my degree in the post." Crushing his tiny tiger, Felix gathered his books and put them in his own bag. Standing up, he walked out of the lab.

Suetonious sat there, confused. Felix had seemed so happy about it yesterday. He wondered what had changed so drastically the night before.

It had only been a matter of time, Lee knew. Destiny and fate had determined his mother would always find fault with his choice in life, his husband, and even his hair style. They hadn't even made it to lunch before she started in on him.

"All I'm saying is, Lee, I want grand children. As my eldest," she paused to look away, "my only child, it falls on you to carry on the line. You can't do that with a man."

"We can adopt." Like hell. They had enough problems without adding children to the mix. He wasn't sure he even wanted the little devils. There was just something unsettling about having someone so small depend completely upon him. Then, there was the other person to consider, since Lee was a pilot, Felix would be the one stuck with the child. "It's not like it matters at the moment anyways, mother."

Stopping their tour by a hand upon his arm, she stared at him through her snow visor. A bitter smile twisted on her lips. "You have no idea how much I wish that were so. But the fact is, you are in the same profession that killed your brother."

"There's a difference. Zak was incompetent." He could tell he'd pissed her off by the tightening of her face. Too damned bad.

"Your... husband said the same thing to me the day we met. At first, I thought he was talking about you, then I finally understood. Zak had known him before you did and complained about him often." Looking out over the snow fields the lined the base, Caroline tugged at her jacket. "Your husband was right. I had no right to treat him that way, but what happened is in the past."

"Then why won't you accept him?" Lee longed to shake his mother, she was so damned frustrating at times. Instead, he kept his hands clenched and at his sides. "Why am I never enough?"

"That's the same question I asked of myself a thousand times over the years. I was once carefree, very much like your brother was." Her voice went husky as she wiped at her face. "It's hard to believe it's been three months. This morning I woke up and had to remember he is gone and not coming back."

"Yeah, well I try not to think about it. It's over with, Zak's gone and weeping like an old widow won't bring him back." He was tired of talking about his brother. He was gone, but Felix and he were still alive, yet she didn't seem to care. All she wanted was a secured legacy, acting like he was scheduled to die next week.

"Don't be a bastard, Lee! That heartless son of a bitch was hard enough to live with, I won't have my only remaining son become him!" Getting in his face, she suddenly appeared much larger than her normal self. Her anger was almost visible in the brilliance of the sun drenched snow. "You even try it and I will knock you flat on your ass, so help you!"

"Then get your head out of your ass, mother! I am not going to die and I am not going to give up my husband because you have some twisted need for me to replace your son." He expected the slap, but did nothing to stop her. She had every right to react that way, he wanted her to. May be if he could get her to take out her emotions on him, she would finally see reason. When she tried to storm away, he played the final card. "If you want a baby that badly, have one of your own."

Caroline didn't bother to respond, choosing to continue walking away.

Lee nodded to two of the marines that had been shadowing them to follow his mother. Wandering off on his own, he needed to think.

Felix heaved a sigh of relief the next morning. It felt like the world was a better place. The air was easier to breathe, the sky bluer over head. Everything was just perfect. He awoke beside his husband, he was curled up in a comfortable bed, and Caroline Adama was riding her broom back to Caprica.

Humming tunelessly under his breath he threw back the covers and rose from the bed. He stretched out his back, popping all the joints back in to whack. Plodding to the bathroom, he bounced to a song he heard in his mind. Everything was perfect.

As he passed a mirror, he caught his reflection and almost let it pass. Then something about it caused him to frown. Backing up until he could see his own profile in the full length mirror, Felix tried to figure out what it was. There was a definite change in his appearance. He slowly scanned his body starting at his head and going down. His hair was okay, so was his face, neck and shoulders. His chest was a little out of shape from not working out. Going lower, he frowned.

Sitting up in bed, Felix clutched his chest, trying to stop his pounding heart. It was just a dream, a really bad one. "I'll be glad when this Chamalla is out of my system." As he climbed out of bed, he noticed Lee wasn't in the room. A note on the night stand told him Lee had left early for flight patrol training again.

It was the third time that week. In the past five days since Caroline had left, he had been brooding and it was driving Felix insane. Lee wasn't the pouting type, normally. Ever since Caroline had announced before she left that their marriage didn't exist as far as she was concerned, Lee had stopped talking. Never more than now did Felix wish a convenient curse would strike her.

Pulling on a pair of Lee's boxer briefs, Felix strolled through the house to the living room. Lee wasn't the only one sulking, but Felix didn't care. He had nothing to do since he'd passed his last exam. Dr. Suetonious still wouldn't let him deal with any of the patients in the infirmary, so he didn't really have a lot of options.

There were always the other base 'wives'. He had been offered recently to join them in their social circles. Because of the diverse population, there were nearly as many women as men on the base who were married to the military as well as their spouses. That meant a lot of lonely people. Felix's one problem with all of them, they based their lives around their children. Not a one was without or not expecting a child.

The very thought of having a child made his skin shudder. He had heard Lee and his mother get in to an argument before she left about him having children and lately it seemed all he could think about. That bitch had ruined their domestic ignorance.

Turning on the news, Felix began to hope for something interesting. Only one thing that popped up caught his attention. Unmarked, untagged civilian vessels were picked up on dradis near the armistice line. The thought of what lay beyond that line made the room feel as if it dropped in temperature. "They're coming."

He didn't want to believe it. The whole thing was a chamalla induced night mare. There were no big bad cylons going to come in the middle of the night and kill him. He was safe. He was safe.

They were coming.

Unhooking his helmet from the life support hoses in the Viper, Lee pulled out the chin guard and took it off. He handed off the helmet to the crewman, and climbed out. There was something very depressing every time he climbed out of a Viper. Lee felt it weigh on his chest as he lowered himself down the trolley.

As he spun, a crewman was suddenly there saluting him. Lee returned the salute. "What's the sitrep, Specialist?"

"Colonel Grayson wants you in his office ASAP!" Having delivered her message, she ran around the Viper to aid in the maintenance.

"Great." Just what he needed to end a particularly brutal training mission. He wondered what it was this time. Last time it had been a pissy pilot who complained because Lee kicked him off the squad. If they couldn't fly the birds, they shouldn't be in the damned things. Incompetence got people killed!

As he passed one of his squad, he sent the man a warning glare. Wouldn't do to let them think they would get away with that shitty flying like they had tried today.

The lights were off in the house when Lee opened the front door. On the table next to the door, a plate filled with lit candles flickered in the breeze. Lee had been hoping to speak with Felix first thing, but his tongue felt tied. Closing the door behind him, he unzipped his flight suit. "Felix?"

"In the living room, Lee." His voice was throaty.

Swallowing, Lee followed a series of candles from the front door to the living room. With each step he was careful not to touch the flames. Upon reaching the living room, he found all the tables covered in an assortment of candles. At the center, awash in their light, Felix sat in his chair.

Hair strung out, unkept and ungelled, Felix grinned at Lee. He was wearing one of Lee's dress shirts unbuttoned and splayed open. Pulling out the pellet gun from the pair of Lee's briefs he wore, he blew on the end. "How was your day?"

Mouth suddenly dry, Lee forgot what he had wanted to say. "Sweet Aphrodite."

Pointing the pellet gun at Lee, Felix closed one eye. "Bang!"

When he woke the next morning, Felix was sore every where. His body ached in places he hadn't felt since the academy physical endurance course. He was pretty sure the teeth marks on his neck would be gone in a few days, but the ones on his thighs would take at least a week. It even hurt to sit up because the palm shaped bruises on his cheeks.

Snickering, Felix waddled his way to the bathroom to get a hot bath. As he tested the water to the right temperature, he tossed in a hand full of bath soaps. Catching his reflection in the mirror reminded him the bed sheets were a total loss and would need to be replaced. Lee had been very amorous the night before.

He was about to slip in to the tub when the handset rang out. Rolling his eyes, Felix turned off the taps. He walked to the living room, each step carefully taken to avoid further aches. Picking up the handset mid ring, he exhaled loudly. "Hello?"

"Daphne? How are you doing?"

"I am doing fine. What is this about, Amalthea?" He was two seconds away from hanging up on her.

"Wow, you sound like you are taking the transfer better than I thought."

Frowning, Felix turned to look out the front window. He heard someone pull up out front and was trying to see who it was through the curtains. "What transfer are you talking about?"

"You mean Lee didn't tell you?"

"Obviously not." Rubbing at the scratches on his neck, Felix grinned. "We were a little busy last night."

"That would explain why he looks like he fought a blender and lost." She paused long enough to snort. "I suppose I should warn you before the panic sets in so you can be prepared. The Admiralty, in all their wisdom, have decided to close the base. Half the personnel are being transferred as we speak, mainly the marines and a few of the flight crew. The rocket jockies, however, are being dismissed from service. All except Lee of course."

Rubbing his forehead, Felix felt a headache coming on. He sat down at the table and leaned over it for support. "All right, Amalthea, start over from the beginning. What prompted the Admiralty to do this?"

"It's been a long time in coming. Charybdis Base was a hold over from before the ratification of the articles. She's been outdated since the cylon war. The only reason she was still in existence is because they needed some place to send old colonels before they retired. Colonel Augusta was the last, his replacement, Colonel Grayson, was brought in to either fix her up or shut her down."

"And after a month on the job he's decided to close the base." Felix felt like letting his head drop to the table. This just made his frakking day.

"It gets better. I am sure you can tell already what kind of people are assigned here." She didn't bother to give him a chance to reply. "Most of them are idiots, but some like me, just have a string of bad luck with our COs."

"You never did tell me what you did to piss off Commander Inyaga." And she probably never would, he mused.

"Those few of us who are useful, are being reassigned to different parts of the fleet. The rest are being given their marching orders. It seems Colonel Grayson doesn't like idiots. Also, I don't know the full details, but because of Lee's performance reviews, not one of the thirty pilots assigned under his command are being reassigned. The Admiralty just fired the whole lot of them." Now she was out right laughing. "I've never seen so many people scratching their heads in my life!"

"Get to the point, where did Lee end up?" His ass was starting to hurt him again and sitting on the hard wood chair wasn't doing him any good.

"Border patrol. According to the transfer papers sent in from the Admiralty, Lee's skills are needed along the Armistice Line. Civilian miners have been spotted trying to cross it and fleet is despatching a Battlestar with full accompaniment." Her voice went cold sober. "It's a six month rotation, I'm sorry, I hadn't read that far."

Closing his eyes, Felix shook his head. "All right. Thank you, Amalthea."

"Good bye and good luck."

Hanging up the handset, Felix stumbled to the bathroom. He gently eased his body in to the water and ignored the sounds of the base being dismantled outside.

Their time together was short. Lee had come home at midday to tell Felix what had been happening to find his lover packing their house up. Coming in to the living room where most of their small possessions laid in boxes, he found Felix busy dumping the contents of the kitchen drawers in a box. Felix's actions were mechanical, each motion not without purpose. It made his chest heavy to see his husband so focused on a painful cause. "You don't have to do that, they'll be by soon enough to do it for us."

"It gives me something to do other than thinking about it." Yanking out the next drawer, Felix upended it in to the box, not caring what was inside. He left the drawer on a stack of them next to the fridge. There was only one left and he made short work of it. "Lunch is on the table, I suggest you eat it, other wise it is going in the trash. I'm not taking the perishables back to Caprica..." He trailed off as Lee took him in his arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you last night." There were perfectly good explanations that they both knew, but he still felt he should say it. Not that it did any good.

Felix kept his back straight even as Lee tried to pull him flush against his body. "I have to finish packing, Lee."

"Forget about that for a minute." Lee pulled back until he only held Felix's hands in his own. It was a quiet moment they shared, staring in to one another's eyes. "We will get through this, I promise."

"There is no getting through it, Lee, it is a simple matter. You're in the military, I'm not, you go out on patrol, I set up home some where else while I wait for you to come back." Six months should give him time to work out a nice new home for them, if Lee wasn't transferred again. There was no guarantee Felix wouldn't have to pull up stakes again in six months. "Amalthea commed before you came, the pilots were shipped out this morning to Pycon Fleet Command for debriefing. They didn't waste much time with them."

"That's because they were bad pilots." Lee tried for humor, but sighed when Felix refused to even crack a smile. He felt helpless against his husband's emotions. "What can I do to cheer you up?"

"Stay awake. Out there, on the border, there is something going on." Felix felt his world begin to spin as he fell in to Lee's arms. "They're coming."

"I'll be ready for them if they do." Holding his husband, Lee let him rest in his arms. There wasn't much time for anything more.

The next morning the transport came. An army of grunts came piling out much like they had four months before. This time it was Felix who oversaw the removal of their possessions. Unlike Lee, he took part in the guidance of the men. His own inventory lists were the basis of the move. It took slightly longer than before, but Felix was thorough and knew what he wanted done.

Lee had left with the dawn, riding on the carrier that had taken the last of the base's transferring personnel. He hadn't known what battlestar he would be assigned to was called, but would once he arrived at Topaz Station. Felix hoped it wasn't one he had served on, none of their commanders could be trusted.

Felix took the next civilian transport out after that. There was nothing keeping him there. He didn't know what they would do with the base, but he had heard some civilian operation was moving in. Even after all this time, he still thought of civilians as a different race than himself.

Watching through the airlock window as the transport left the ground, he felt little. Lee was gone, leaving him alone once more. In the haze of his shock, Felix could feel another wave of dizziness coming on over him.

"Boring, isn't it." Coming to stand beside him, Six cocked her head to the side. "After everything that has happened, you just feel numb to the world. It really is too bad that even now it won't leave you alone and go away."

"I could say the same about you." Leaning his against the hatch, Felix closed his eyes. "Make it all go away."

"Soon." Six tenderly brushed his hair off his face. "Very soon."

The streets were busy in the heart of Caprica City, busier than he had hoped. All the people soothed his headache, their lives making him feel adrift of his own problems. Standing off in the corner of a store front, he watched the passing crowds in the reflection on the windows. Their varied colors and sizes became almost hypnotic from the distortion. He was lost in thought when he heard a familiar voice.

"It is my opinion that robotics should be more infused with our society. Now, don't get me wrong, I, in no way, believe they should think for themselves, but a mechanized automaton would make many jobs a lot easier." On the screens of televisions in the store front, Gaius Baltar looked slick and professional. "When we rid ourselves of even the simplest of robots fifty years ago, we were blinded by our fears and ignorance. People believed that every machine would suddenly rise up against us and wished to return our society back to the stone age. The notion of it all is simply ridiculous."

Attention focused on Gaius, Felix never saw the woman come up beside him. The moment she was within reach, he knew who she was. "I understand your interest in him."

"He is very useful." Cocking her head to the side, Natasi effected a pout. "But, his ego does tend to blind him."

"Isn't it always the way of his kind?" Felix checked his reflection in the glass, comparing his to that of her own. His hair was almost as long, but more curly. "It's a shame they don't pay attention."

"You warned them, I assume?" Her hand reached out to trace the front of the screen on the window pane.

"Yes, little good it did." Frowning as they replaced Gaius with an old man with a rebuttal, Felix lost interest in the program. "He's helping you?"

"Not that he knows." Her hand slipped from the window to grasp Felix's shoulder. "Do not worry, Gaeta, they won't find anything on the border. He is safe so long as he does not cross the line."

"Thank you, I suppose." When her hand disappeared from his shoulder, he waited long enough for her to disappear in the crowd before he went back to crowd watching. They really did look like sheep.

Lee was worried by the lack of contact. He had been on the border for a month and yet there hadn't been one word from Felix. Despite the constant drills they had been running, most of his time was spent thinking about his husband. Out of desperation, he had sent his mother a message to track down Felix.

So far, she hadn't got back to him.

Laying in his bunk, Lee tiredly wondered what was going on. He couldn't lodge a missing person's report unless the police in Caprica City could reach him. His mission prevented direct communications. The fact of the matter was, he might not know anything until his rotation was up. Fear of that made him sit up. He had to do something about it.

On his way out of the pilots' berth, he nearly ran down a fellow pilot. The man would have to forgive him later, right now he had a message to send over the wireless.

Using the key that she hadn't looked at in six months, Kara pushed the door open. There had to be a logical reason for it all, surely Lee wasn't just panicking. Daphne wasn't exactly a crazy bird, just a little cranky. Still, her gaze darted back and forth as she entered the apartment. The lights were off in the hallway and the bedrooms. Other than that, Lee's apartment was exactly as she remembered it when Zak had brought her there.

She took a moment to push his memory from mind along with the boat load of emotions that came with it. She was there on a mission, Lee was counting on her. Taking a slow, steady breath, she crept down the hall. In the distance she could hear the tinkling of bells and the slow rumble of base drums.

Smoke filled the apartment, flooding back towards her. Frowning, she continued on. The smell of the smoke was acrid, almost acidic in her nostrils. Kara had smelt it before, but only on holidays when the priestesses would burn... "Chamalla. Shit!"

Lee had warned her about the damned drug.

She started to rush in to the living room but was brought up short by the wall of smoke that greeted her. Whipping it away with her hand, she felt her eyes watering and her throat constrict. The stench was every where. She pushed onwards in to the smoke to reach the living room where every thing seemed to be coming from.

In the doorway, she stopped. Sitting around a brazer were three people. Two were on the floor while a third sat upon a tripod over the brazer. The smoke emanated from the brazer and the woman on the tripod breathed it in deeply. Kara wanted to demand what the frak was going on, but found her mouth sealed shut.

"Apollo will give you what you want, for a price." Holding out her hands, the Oracle looked down upon the two who had brought her there. They were flat, palms down. She used them to bring the smoke to her. Inhaling deeply, she moaned in distress. "The child you seek will come, but your flesh will not touch his. He will be born of great sorrow, no peace will his ancestors know except in Great Hades' embrace."

On the Oracle's right, Caroline sagged down, her body wracked by coughs and sobs. She shoved at the smoke, trying to drawl in fresh air. "It's not fair."

"He is not fair, life is not fair, only Death is fair and so we shall all be grateful." The Oracle's features were harshly outlined in the smoke as she glared at Caroline. "Your losses will mount, but so will your joys. Never let the scales tip one way or the other or all will come crashing down!" Pain shot down the left side of her head, through her shoulder, and in to her finger tips. Crying out, she twisted to face the third person by the brazer.

In his gas mask, Felix glared at the Oracle. In actuality, he had no use for her sorcery and superstition. When she looked at him, he felt a grin tug at his lips, not that she could see. That made it all the more funnier. An Oracle was a great show to watch, from a distance.

"You, who cavort with devils in human skins, you who sings the praises of traitors. What right have you to claim the greatest love, Daphne?" Twisting under another twinge that shot all down her left side, she continued to cry out. "Apollo chases you only because his lusts are false. Eros does deceive with his bow and arrows, blinding to even the greatest of mortals and gods. Harlot, shamer, disgusting goat frakker! You will lay with the beasts of burden, but give your heart to the sins of man."

"One more word out of you and we will test your ability to fly." Rising from his spot on the floor, Felix picked up the bucket next to the brazer and dumped the contents on it. The hissing and popping of the dying fire threw up great plumes of the smoke and he knew the smell would linger for weeks. "We are done here, Caroline, I think your friend should leave now."

Standing from the floor, Caroline stretched her aching legs and back. She wasn't a young woman any more, sitting for hours in an uncomfortable position did nothing for her back. While she started to stretch out her back, Felix came up behind her and lifted her from around her ribs. She was about to protest when her legs swung down and her back popped. The relief was instant and she frowned. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, just get her out!" Walking around the room towards the kitchen, Felix turned on the fans. It wasn't until he was nearly at the dining room he saw Kara. The events clicked in to place and he grinned at her. "He finally get desperate?"

"Sounded like it." Kara let him slip passed to open the kitchen windows and turn on more fans. "So, Lee posed a question and I got to get an answer. What's the deal with not talking to him?"

Gas mask still firmly in place, Felix sat down at the kitchen table. "Call it a cooling off period." He gestured to a seat across from him as he ignored the duo in the living room. "A friend of Lee's mother works in the temple. Caroline received Lee's message and came to visit me. At the time, I didn't feel like talking to anyone, so I listened. The priestess told me what I already knew, my relationship with Lee isn't healthy. I have been taking a step back, giving myself a chance to remember who I am. Be sure Lee knows that I am making nice with his mother."

"Oh yes, very nice." Helping the Oracle carry her equipment to the door, Caroline gave Felix an aggravated glance.

"I didn't automatically throw her and you out the window. I would say I have been making great progress." Felix was well aware the menacing air the gas mask gave him and he reveled in it. It was a wonderfully fascinating experience to see Caroline off her game. The ice queen did have bad hair days. "Be sure to tip her extra for the bull shit fortune, it was very entertaining."

Limping through the kitchen for the hall, the Oracle cast an angry glance towards Felix. Cocking her head to the side, her vision flashed. Super imposed over the relaxing figure of Felix she could see another image. Cackling, she walked on. "Revenge, young Daphne, revenge for the children of man is upon you. Your father has cursed you in to a tree!"

"Well, if every day is like this, it's no wonder you haven't contacted Lee." Plopping down on her chair, Kara reached out and plucked an apple out from under the pomegranates in the fruit dish. After biting in to it and swallowing the piece almost whole, she wiped her chin clean with the back of her hand. "Don't ask me why, but the smell of burning Chamalla leaves always make me hungry. And horny."

"Be sure to wipe the seat when you get up." Felix ignored the pomegranate she sent soaring at his head. It wasn't worth making an issue over. Besides, the spray pattern it left when it crashed in to the cabinet was interesting. "It is nothing on Lee, I just need time to myself."

"Understandable. But you can't leave a guy like Lee hanging, he gets needy." Finishing off her apple in two quick bites, Kara tossed the core in the trash without getting up. It was a new personal best. "Lee needs someone to constantly remind him that he is needed and wanted."

Felix snorted. He had known people like that before, never thought he would get saddled with one. In the past week, he had begun to feel more like himself than he had in a long time. Amazing how simple things were when you knew the world was ending. "I don't know how much of a comfort I can be."

"Send him a dirty letter, may be some nude pictures." As they shared a look, Kara exploded with laughter. "Never mind, just do something before he goes AWOL."

"Very well." Felix glanced up at Caroline as she came back in to the kitchen, ashes falling from her clothes and hair where she had held the brazer. "I'll run you a bath. Starbuck, would you like to join us for dinner?" He rose from the table, pushing passed the glaring woman to head to the bathroom.

"Sure, might as well. I need a place to crash as well," she called as he disappeared down the hall in to the master bedroom.

"Zak's room is open." Caroline noticed Kara's flinch, but ignored in. Sitting down at the table, she broke open a pomegranate. Frowning when she counted them, she searched for the missing one. Upon finding it in the kitchen floor, she sighed. "We are happy to have you over at any time, Kara. How is your career going?"

"It goes." Smiling awkwardly, Kara tried not to appear too nervous. From what Lee had told her, Caroline and Felix were supposed to be mortal enemies. Yet, in what little she had observed, they were cohabitating like wild greer falcons, nothing nice, but they stuck it out. "What about you?"

Spitting out the seeds from the pomegranate, Caroline gesture carelessly in the air. "I'm getting along. How is the bath coming, Daphne?" Hearing him drop something in the bathroom made her smile. "He hates that name."

"I couldn't tell." Despite the situation, Kara found herself chuckling. The entire moment felt surreal. In the past six months there had barely been a moment of peace, now it felt as if she were finally waking up. The air in the apartment was still hard to breathe from the smoke, but the fans had sucked most of it out. Allowing herself to be calmed and centered by their dull roar, she closed her eyes.

"I can still hear them, late at night. The laughter of them doing something they shouldn't echoes through the apartment. I hear them, probably only in my head, but I can sleep finally." Wiping at her eyes, Caroline stood up from the table. "I'll have Felix turn down the bed and put on fresh blankets. It gets cold in the bedroom at night." She quickly made her way down the hall to her bedroom.

Felix barely had enough time to get out before she slammed the door on him. He frowned in confusion, but let it go. "You're welcome, you old harpy!"

Dinner was a flashy affair for Kara. Used to a plain meal in the pilot's mess with the rest of her crew, she hadn't expected much in the kitchen. Caroline and Felix had bickered about him wearing her old blue apron which had frills and lace. Kara had snorted her drink as Felix ranted and raved over making dinner about how she refused to get a new one because she liked watching him humiliate himself.

Serving had been something else entirely. Felix had served the women while still cooking the other courses. Caroline had acted as if this was normal fare, commenting on how he hadn't cooked anything correctly until he was forced to sit down and eat with them. Then it was his turn again, commenting on Caroline's table manners and Kara's lack there of.

Not to be outdone, Kara had went about properly eating, at least she assumed it was proper. Caroline was her example after all. That lasted all of two bites then she was back to laughing. Felix made a joke about how she had been corrupted by Caroline. In the end, Kara hadn't felt so content in a long time.

After the excitement of dinner had died down and they retired to the living room, stocked with new furniture more comfortable than was plausible, Kara had laid there watching them watch the television. The program was an update in the daily politics in the colonies, one topic in particular about the Admiralty fascinating them. Kara turned to the screen in time to watch Negala step up to a podium among flashing lights.

Standing up at the podium, Negala put on his glasses effecting a somber demeanor. He kept his eyes on his notes. "At nineteen hundred hours fleet standard time, the BattleStar Demeter was completing routine FTL Drive maintenance. We are unsure what caused the ship to jump, but her final destination was found only an hour ago. It is my sad duty to report the loss of the Demeter, and with her, all thirty-six hundred crew members." Silence reined in the press room and living room. "We would ask that you respect the families of those who were lost and give them the proper time to grieve. That is all, thank you."

Standing up, Felix couldn't breathe. His pulse was weak and his chest hurt. Shaking his head, he couldn't think. He had to get out there, he needed to breathe. Before he knew what was happening, he was on his knees in the center of the living room. "Can't be real. No. Not!"

Sitting up in alarm, Caroline reached out to catch him as he fell. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"The Demeter was his ship." His voice was breathy, almost non existent. Shaking his head, Felix tried to catch himself but found himself in Caroline's arms. "No. This is not happening. It's not! Not!"

Hand flying to her face, Kara couldn't hold in the tears as they fell.

"No. It's not true." Rising to his feet, Felix shrugged of Caroline's arms. "I'm going to Athens, he will be there, I know he will be. She promised, she promised me." Staggering in to the kitchen, Felix used the walls to guide him towards the hall. At the door, he grabbed the keys off the hook. "Caroline, I'll be back, I'll... Back."

Caught up in her own grief, Caroline just shook her head.

Unable to think of anything else to do, Kara knelt down on the floor and took Caroline in her arms. Felix had to be right. There was no other option.

Getting on the base was relatively easy. Panic and grief had taken the will out of the guards and his actions were determined. Felix knew what he needed and where to find it. He had on his flight suit and was in the Raptor hangar before the guards were found. By the time the base had been put on alert, he already had the Raptor powered up and was plotting the jump.

The hangar doors had opened to let in a search team when he finished. Entering in the coordinates in the jump computer, Felix engaged the FTL drive. It wasn't the first time he had done a jump from that hangar. It was to much shock that his Raptor disappeared in front of the four person search team.

Coming out of the jump, Felix flipped the switches to begin active Dradis scan. Watching the board from the co-pilot's chair in the back, he waited for a contact, any contact. There was absolutely nothing out there beyond spacial debris. Switching the parameters to stop filtering out the back ground radiation, he searched for a heat signature.

After five heart stopping minutes, he finally hit something. There were four of them adrift in a loose cluster. Climbing in to the front of the Raptor, he scanned the controls. Basic helm design was part of his training, but the Raptor wasn't a battlestar. Not giving a damn, Felix took a seat and strapped himself in. It was going to be hard.

He clutched at the controls, igniting the thrusters. The Raptor controls were much more tactile than the battlestar and too sensitive for his liking. He was going too fast for him, but there was no stopping. Keeping a close eye on the dradis console next to his controls, he watched as one of the warm spots suddenly went out. It didn't effect him, he knew it wasn't Lee.

Closer, the blips turned in to large blotches on the screen. When they were taking up most of the screen he turned on the Raptor's flood lights. Ahead of him less than a thousand kilometers away lay ten Vipers, only three still had their seals intact. Cutting the thrusters, he let his inertia take him in to the center of the group.

He could detect no noticeable power signature coming from any of them, but a light flashed in the cockpit of the one furthest away. Maneuvering the Raptor to the closest one with a heat source, he opened the hatch to space. The suction nearly pulled him out, but his restraints kept him in the chair.

Out of the corner of his eye, Felix saw the canopy of the Viper open and a body drift out. He rolled the Raptor to intercept the pilot as he drifted out of the Viper. Half expecting it, he still jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. He emphatically gestured to the pilot seat next to his until the pilot took the hint and strapped himself in.

Felix turned control of the Raptor over to the pilot and unstrapped himself from the chair. Using the consoles to guide him, he floated in to the back and strapped himself in the co-pilot's chair. Before he was certain he was secure, the Raptor was rolling again, hard enough to throw him against his restraints. The hatch remained open, but another Viper came in to view through it.

Felix ignored the pilot as she climbed in beside him, choosing instead to continue scanning for heat signatures. The third pilot, the one farthest away, was using a flash light to cause spikes in the dradis sweep. Felix flipped on the comm and shut the hatch. "Take us to the third pilot, now."

"There's too much debris, I'm not sure..." The pilot didn't get to finish as he saw a gun pointed at him in the reflection of the glass. "Maneuvering there now."

The Raptor shuddered as pieces of Vipers and spacial debris bounced off the hull. When a particularly large rock bounced off, warning lights flashed and the console screamed about a hull breach. Felix killed the alarms with a vicious twist of the knobs. Eventually, they reached the third Viper, having to avoid two dead ones adrift next to it as they slowly spun.

Opening the hatch, Felix turned his chair to watch the Viper's canopy open. Elation and relief filled him as he caught the eye of the pilot. He opened his arms, drawing attention to himself. Felix watched with baited breath as the pilot released his straps and used his legs to launch himself out of the Viper. He caught the man's hands as he came rocketing in to the Raptor.

He had to force himself to push the man aside enough to close the hatch. When he saw the door closing down, he allowed himself to wrap his arms around Lee. Unbuckling the straps when he couldn't get a good enough grip, he wrapped arms and legs around Lee. Over the comm, he could hear Lee's chuckle.

"Lieutenant Endelman, get us out of here." Lee settled himself in the co-pilot's chair with Felix draped over him. He had to hold on to the chair with his legs as the Raptor impacted against an asteroid while maneuvering out of the debris field. Allowing his hands to drift and cup Felix's ass, he grinned at his husband. "It's okay, we're alive."

"Nothing else matters." Felix kept himself as close to Lee as possible. He could barely feel Lee's rapidly beating pulse through the flight suit, but it was enough. Closing his eyes, he knew it would be okay now.

"And then, charging through the debris field as if he had Cerebrus himself at his heels, this madman in a stolen Raptor came like the sweet answer to every prayer. I have no idea who he was or where he came from, but I thank him, for my life and that of my family." Hand on her cheek, Lieutenant Assala wiped away the tears and bit her lip to keep silent. Surrounding her were dozens of people labeled on the screen as her family. Hands shaking, she took a shuddering breath. "I thought it was over, they hadn't even noticed us when they came through. If he hadn't... I'm happy, just so grateful. Thank you, please, just thank you!"

Shutting off the screen, Lee allowed himself a shiver of sympathetic fear. On the couch across from him was Kara passed out drunk. He had come in to find her and his mother sharing a bottle. There were three other empty ones in the trash. Caroline had held him and wept for over an hour, apologizing for everything she had said and done wrong in her life. After the hour, he had carried her to bed and let her sleep it off.

Walking back to his bedroom, he leaned on the doorway to watch Felix. His husband was staring out through he window above the headboard. "What are you looking at?"

"It was nice of your friends to drop me off before they returned to the base." He wasn't about to tell Lee what he had been really thinking.

"They figured they owed you one." Coming in to the room, he flexed his sore back muscles and laid down beside Felix. "Besides, your presence would have only caused more questions and problems. It's better to let them think it was a miracle." He felt his back ease when he stretched out. "Speaking of which, how did you know?"

"A little cylon told me." Felix snickered, but felt Lee tense beside him. Reaching out, he placed a hand upon his husband's chest. "I have friends who have access to the defense mainframe. Once I had the Demeter's last known location, it was easy to project the final course." He squeezed Lee's chest, letting his fingers bite in to the flesh. "Never doubt my commitment to you ever again."

"Never." Stroking Felix's arm, Lee relaxed in to the strained grip. If his husband wanted to keep a death grip on him, he was fine with that.

Walking through Agamemnon Park, Felix watched the birds land over the monuments. It was a pretty display of aerial talent he appreciated more now that he had been behind the controls of their metallic cousin. The way they never really touched, seemingly dancing on the wind as they fluttered about. The sheer beauty of their acrobatics made him smile. For a moment, he yearned to be among their numbers, free of the constraints of his flesh. It didn't last long.

Turning his attention to the benches ahead, he switched the bag over his shoulder from his side to the front. Checking the contents, he made special note that everything was there. When compared to his mental check list, he felt it was complete. He sealed the bag and continued on.

Coming around the bench that over looked the Riverwalk Market, he sat down. It wasn't a minute later before he was joined. Her fingers tangled in his hair as he leaned his head on her shoulder. She patted his head comfortingly. Felix took off the bag and pushed it in to her lap. "It was worth every bit."

"I am sure it was." She continued to stroke his hair with her one hand while she checked the contents of the back with the other. "Thank you, Gaeta, you have no idea how much this means to us."

"It was worth it." Raising his head, Felix pulled his hair back in to a single pony tail. He stood up and walked away, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. It was a cold day for early spring.

Lee had been gone for two days, reassigned temporarily to Fleet Command on Pycon. Felix was under no illusions, he was there so they could keep an eye on him. No one had let slip about his involvement in the rescue as far as he knew, but they hoped Lee would. He gave it another week before Lee's mother stepped in and had his uncles get him reassigned again.

In the week since it happened, Felix had spent every moment keeping a close eye on Caroline. She hadn't given any overt signs, but he knew she had broken down with Lee. Despite her strong demeanor, he knew how badly it had effected her.

Kara had left the night before, Adama summoning her back for an update on his son. Before she had left, he had made her swear not to reveal his marriage to the senior Adama. Having that man look at him closely was the last thing he ever needed.

Now, it was only him in the apartment. Caroline was out for the day with her sister doing what he didn't know. He wasn't sure what her work was, just that she spent most of her days there. Felix wasn't sure when she had moved in, it just happened over a period of days. Coming over every day to snipe at him and eat whatever he was fixing had turned in to her moving some clothes and then she wasn't going away any more. The entire situation still made his head hurt.

He was walking to the kitchen from the living room when he heard the buzzer from the front door. Everyone who knew about his apartment, knew that the back entrance was the one they used. Frowning, he walked over to the display room's door and pulled the key out of the lock box next to it. After unlocking the door, he heard the person at the front door try the handle. "Hold on, I'm going."

Picking up the service piece off the display table, Felix cocked it and walked up to the front door. "State your name and your purpose."

The person released the handle. "Hello, Mr. Adama?"

"There is a gun leveled at you, I am warning you, don't test my patience." He grew confused when there sounded like a scuffle outside his door.

"Captain, that will be quite enough." Her authoritative voice brokered no argument. "Mr. Adama, please forgive the intrusive behavior of my guard. I am here on an unofficial mission from President Adar. My name is Laura Roslin and I am the secretary of education. I am a close friend of the president, he trusts me to handle this with the utmost discretion. If you will please open the door, I will be happy to explain further."

Hand shaking, Felix glanced back to his living room door. He could possibly make it to the kitchen before they caught on he wasn't there any more. If she was from the president, the building would be surrounded. They found out about him, he wasn't sure which of the other two people he had rescued told, but they found out.

"Mr. Adama, Daphne, please." Laura tried for pleading. If all else failed, a little old fashioned begging wasn't much of a big deal.

It was of no use, he would never escape. Putting the gun back on the display, Felix walked over to the front door. With much trepidation, he opened enough to see who was on the other side. She didn't even remotely look familiar. "What do you want?"

Laura ignored the looks her body guards were giving each other and Felix. Taking a step closer, she placed a hand on his arm. "May I come in and talk with you, this is important."

Felix stepped back, gesturing for her and the others to come in. "Don't touch any thing in this room, it belongs to my husband's father, Commander William Adama." He stressed the name to let them know it was serious.

If she was impressed, she didn't let it show on her face. At least not until she actually got a good look at the room. Her breath caught in her throat. "My gods, this place is a museum."

"Commander Adama calls it the 'Shrine of Belerophon' If you will continue on through the next door, we can talk." He made sure they went before he locked the front door and then followed them through. Upon entering the living room, he locked the door to the display room. "Now, Madam Secretary, what do you want that is so urgent?"

Still in awe of the artifacts in the next room, Laura smiled. "It's amazing. I had no idea some of that had survived the war."

"It's an obsession." Feeling uncomfortable, Felix eyed the two body guards. If they so much as looked at him funny, there were a dozen hidden weapons around the living room he had full access to.

"You always keep that locked?" At his nod, she glanced about the apartment. "We would have used the back entrance, but it was locked and heavily fortified. If that is the only one you use, it would certainly discourage visitors." Another glance to him, she smiled. "Then again, I think that is the idea."

"I won't ask you again, what do you want?" Sliding down to sit on the couch, he reached inside the vase beside it. The gun inside was an old fashioned repeater, but it would serve its purpose well.

"All right. We know you were the one responsible for the rescue of your husband. For some reason, you have done everything in your power short of murder to keep a low profile. Yet, when the time comes, you are throwing caution to the wind and putting yourself out there." This time, she allowed a puzzled expression to color her features. "The question is, who are you, Mr. Adama, and why are you trying to hide?"

"I am Daphne Adama and I have nothing to hide." Rising from the couch, he eased the gun under his shirt. He took a step towards her, expression light. "As for the security measures, I just moved here. If you really want to know, you should ask Caroline."

Seeing she wasn't getting any where, Laura glanced to her two guards. "I think you should leave us alone." She pointed towards the kitchen. "You know the way, you've seen the blue prints enough times."

The guards knew better than to object. After giving the apartment a once over, they left.

After they had left, Laura took a seat in the lone recliner, laying back to watch Felix. Her expression was that of resigned happiness. "You know, before we continue, I have a story I think should tell you. It's about a young man very much like yourself. Now, I never met him, only glimpsed him from a distance. The important thing is that I noticed him when a lot of people didn't. Whether this makes either one of us special, I'm not sure. The story is that he lived a life full of purpose and meaning. Everything he did was for the good of his ship, his crew, his family. Then one day, it was snatched from him.

"Here is where the story becomes unclear. For all intents and purposes, the day his dreams ended, he disappeared seemingly as if in to thin air. No one knows where he went, any reports on him might as well be false sightings because he is gone by the time anyone notices. A person with that kind of ability can be dangerous, or very useful." Leaning forward, she looked at him over her glasses. "The problem with my story is that we don't know which one the main character is. Until we do, we can't be sure how to proceed."

"You've over looked the obvious. Your main character's motives. Why does he do the things he does? That changes the variables. Now, it is no longer a question of is he useful or dangerous, but do you wish to provoke him or simply let him live in peace?" Turning away from her, Felix returned to the couch. She wasn't an immediate threat.

She continued to watch him carefully as he sat down and returned the gun to what she assumed was it's hiding spot. Laura was amused that the Tauron vase would be used for that purpose. When he had settled down, she pulled out the big guns. "Who do you work for?"

"Actually, I am currently unemployed." Now he was openly smirking. They were getting closer to the reason she was here. He had no doubt it was to judge how useful and dangerous he was, but there were other reasons for her visit.

"Fine, you want me to be honest, then I expect the same from you. I won't reveal which one told us who you were, just know they did it under duress." Taking off her glasses, she smiled prettily for him. If he wanted to be an ass, she could return it three fold. "You were sloppy. We have evidence of your meeting with a colleague of Doctor Baltar's. You walked in to the park with a bag, but she walked out with it. It took a few days to identify who she was, but when we found out, we got a surprise. From there, it was easy to identify where you got the location of the Demeter. What we don't know is your previous connection to Dr. Baltar and his companion. How do you know Gaius Baltar?"

"Fifteen months ago he gave me a ride during a rain storm and helped me get a job." With a wave of his hand to distract her, he released the vase and the gun. He relaxed back in to the couch to enjoy the rest of her interrogation.

"Well, that just conveniently solves everything, doesn't it?" Her tone was playful, but Laura was actually calculating what kind of man he was. There were things he wasn't telling her, but he hadn't out right lied to her.

"I guess it does." Standing, he waved his hand to signal she should too. "If there is nothing else I can help you with, Madam Secretary, I think you should leave."

Rising from the chair, Roslin knew this would be the turning point. The future of something great depended upon her next actions. One choice could involve her in whatever he was doing, the other could end him and whatever he might do. Both of them were terrifying because she had no idea what to expect. "I believe you know a great deal, Mr. Adama, and may be making a mistake, but I will leave you to whatever it is you are doing. However, there is one catch. You will keep me informed if something major or unexpected is about to happen. I don't like surprises."

"Be careful your legacy, Ms. Roslin." Escorting her to the door, he opened it and shook her hand. "I will keep your suggestions under advisement. Take care."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Adama." After he released her hand, she stepped in to the hall between her guards. Before she could do or say anything further the door behind her was shut. It hadn't gone as far as she had hoped, but better than expected. He hadn't openly threatened her, which meant he still felt safe. Whatever he was hiding, it either wasn't that big a threat, or she hadn't come close enough to revealing it that he was worried. The lingering feeling of danger was still there, though.

She stood with her hair carefully clipped and artfully arranged. Make up understated, clothes so straight they still held creases. Caroline looked every inch the cold bitch she felt. She didn't have to glance over to know her sister effected the same look in her business suit. Behind her in a supporting posture at parade rest, she had carefully placed her son-in-law.

They stood in Admiral Negala's office waiting for the old man to come. His secretary had said he would be in shortly, but they had been waiting fifteen minutes. Another two minutes and Caroline would tear the place apart in a rage. She held her clutch in such a tight grip the seams were coming apart. In her head she counted down the time waiting.

They had delayed her meeting with Negala for two weeks while her son remained at Fleet Head Quarters. Every attempt she made to contact him in person was met with half truths and blatant lies. After two weeks she had recovered her will and with it an entire life time's resentment at an organization that had taken and taken from her family and given nothing in return.

After a minute of waiting, a minute til her mental deadline, she decided not to wait any longer. Walking over to Negala's desk, she picked up the handset and hit the receptionist's call button. When the man answered, she looked at the door as if she could see through it. "All right, I am tired of this. Here is what we are going to do. You will get that fat son of a bitch in here right now, or I will hunt him down and personally tear him a new asshole. I have been far more patient that I have ever had the need to be. Now quit frakking stalling this instant or so help me, not even the gods will prevent me from skinning you alive. Do you hear me, you little bastard? I will rip your frakking head off and shit down your throat! I am not making an idle threat!"

She hadn't realized she was destroying the desk until she threw the handset at the door. Glancing down for something else to throw, she saw that everything else was either shattered or on the floor. The entire desk top had been scratched beyond repair from her actions. Looking at it only made her angrier. Walking around the desk, she picked up the chair and slammed it against the wall plaquereds until every one of them were on the floor. As the door opened, she threw it at the person who was entering, taking out the receptionist.

Admiral Negala stared in shock at the groaning figure at his feet. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"The end of your career if you ever frak with me again! Now, I am taking my son and we are leaving here." After she had come around the desk, Caroline stepped over the unconscious young man and got in Negala's face. "You even try to stop me and no one will be able to save your sorry ass! I know things about you, Ulris, I know every sordid detail. Just make a move, I dare you. I dare you!" Caroline was shaking by the time she finished her tirade. "Let's go!"

Felix made an effort of stepping over the lieutenant as he and Caroline's sister walked out of the office after her. He didn't miss the way the Admiral watched him, no doubt trying to figure out where they had met before. Let him try! Since Felix had never held a position of authority or a large set of breasts, he had never been worth remembering.

He was down the hall about to turn in to the central corridor for FHQ command when the admiral gasped. He had been recognized after all. Felix guessed the old man wasn't as dumb as he thought.

Arriving at the pilots' barracks, Felix was hoping to get Lee and get out fast. Things had gone smoothly to that point until he entered the one Lee had been assigned to. It was there silence greeted him with wide stares. Taking the lead ahead of Caroline, Felix walked down the rows searching for Lee. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the open looks, but ignored it in favor of finding his husband.

At the end of the rows he came upon a set of lockers and two bunks. On the top bunk a woman sat with her legs swinging down, she ignored Felix in favor of watching the women behind him. Kneeling down at the bottom bunk, Felix placed his head in Lee's lap.

Sitting in his underwear, Lee stroked Felix's hair slowly. "What are you doing here?"

"Admiral Montrose owed me a favor." Taking her gloves out of her purse, Caroline put them on. "Get dressed, you've been reassigned to Athens base temporarily until a new posting can be found for you." She pulled out her sun glasses and put them on. "Daphne, I know it is difficult, but pull yourself together. Your aunt and I will be waiting at transport pad fifteen." Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the barracks, her sister not far behind.

For Lee, it was a surreal experience. Holding his husband's head in his lap was almost hypnotic in the tranquility. So much had happened in the last three weeks he was almost at a loss. Lee knew they were the center of attention. It wasn't everyday a civilian marched in like they owned the place.

Raising his head, Felix placed a kiss to the skin just above Lee's boxers. "I've missed you."

"Well, I know you've missed my dick, but what about the rest of me?" Laughing, Lee tugged Felix up in to his arms. "I've missed you so very much."

Feeling shaky, Felix squeezed Lee as tight as he could. Kissing his cheek, he brushed his lips over Lee's ear. "I love you."

Closing his eyes, Lee smiled. "I love you too."

Montrose turned out to be a handsome man in his mid fifties who looked much younger. Immediately, Lee could see why his mother had picked him to be friendly with. The fact he reminded Lee of a more emotional version of his father probably had nothing to do with it. He wasn't too tall, hair turning slightly gray at the edges, and he had perfect teeth. For a minute, Lee thought may be he was examining a horse instead of a man for his mother.

Not that his opinion mattered, his mother seemed too smitten to care much about anything else. How did she show her affections? Lee wouldn't exactly call her a cat in heat, at least not to her face.

Running a hand over the front of the Admiral's desk, Caroline effected a shy demeanor. Every time she glanced up, she would only do so through her bangs, and only for a few seconds. When he caught her eye, she would smile and quickly glance back down at his desk. For Caroline, Lee noted, this was frisky, yet reserved.

Clearing his throat, Lee fought off a blush at his mother's flirtations. He was right there in the room! "Admiral Montrose, sir. Please, let me express my gratitude for having me reassigned."

"Not a problem, my boy, not a problem at all. You have your beautiful mother to thank for that." Montrose smiled as Caroline bit back a giggle, but pinked for his comment. "I understand you've been put through the wash and they were about to hang you up to dry, permanently. We can't have that, not considering your service record."

"No, sir." Lee wasn't sure how much of that was for his benefit, but knew it was all for his mother. If he didn't get out of there soon, he might have to throw some cold water on them. They were acting worse than Zak and Kara. That thought brought him up short. His brother and his fiance, he hadn't thought of their relationship in any context since Zak had died. Now wasn't the time to start. "About my assignment?"

"Yes, about that." Taking his eyes off Caroline, Montrose sighed that he had to face Lee. "I'm working on it. In the mean while, take some time off, go home to your wife. If you haven't already started a family, get in some practice. When I have a posting for you, then I'll comm you. Dismissed." Letting go of his tough demeanor, Montrose stood up and sat on the corner of his desk to stare down in to Caroline's eyes. "Now, on to important matters. Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

Rising from her seat as the same time as Lee, Caroline picked up her clutch. Her smile was amused, but on the inside she was doing flips. "I'll have to check my schedule and see what I can come up with."

"Of course, of course. Take all the time you need. If you find yourself free, I'll be at the Persian Cafe on Atvium Boulevard." Taking her hand in his, he kissed her palm. "Until we meet again, Madam Caroline."

"Until then. Come Lee." Almost floating, Caroline sashied out of the office. He really was a stunning piece of ass.

Lee, just then recovering from his shock at the Admiral's words saluted him and followed his mother out. When he glanced her way, he wanted to yell at her for being so easy, just like Zak. It must have been genetic. Then again, he realized he really, really had no room to talk and kept his mouth shut.

"With the loss of the Demeter, all intelligence she had gathered on the cylon border went with her. There is quite simply no feasible reason to send such a large expeditionary force out that way again without breaking the Armistice." Captain Wallach stood at attention behind the podium after closing his report. This was the worst of his duties as mission's analyst, informing of the failures. "It is unlikely the civilians will give us a chance like this again soon."

"Very well, we are patient, we can wait. You are dismissed, Captain." Admiral Metahart banged her gavel, adjourning the board. Rising from her chair, she headed for the exit behind the board's table. She sensed the admirals following behind her as they entered the antechamber for their meetings. When the door closed, she took her arm chair by the fire place. "How much information did we get from the three survivors?"

"They had nothing. It wasn't their job to do the scanning." Admiral Kelmut took up his drink from earlier as he walked around the billiards table. It was covered in maps and old texts, but he felt it gave the room a more primitive feeling. "Their failure will not reflect upon the mission, but what happened to the Demeter was no accident."

"You think the cylons infiltrated the ship and deliberately jumped her in to the core of Lesbos Drift?" Cain watched the man with a calculating gaze. He had been only recently appointed to the board to replace Etrinni, but he already was making a name for himself.

"There is that possibility. It is a given the crew wasn't experienced with jumping a vessel larger than a Raptor, but not even they should have made such a mistake. Besides, the Demeter would not have left out a patrol that close to the border. Her orders were to ensure all her birds were on the deck before FTL jump, no matter the circumstances." Finishing off his drink, Kelmut shared a look with Cain that made her look away. He knew what she was thinking about him.

Metahart raised a hand to silence them. Her head ached from the whole situation. She hated to think about the loss of life, resources, and intelligence if that had been a mistake. But, if it was an attack, then the cylons were mounting up for something. "We do not know enough about the situation to make a discernable effort one way or the other. The decision at this point is to begin actions in preparations for an attack. I want us to be ready for them if they do come."

"Agreed." Cain nodded. "As to that, Dr. Baltar's new programming looks promising. The early estimates claim he will be ready in nine months, we can begin uploading it to the rest of the fleet after that."

"There still remains the question, who rescued the survivors? None of them are willing to speak." Admiral Kandariak left the question hanging in the air. After a minute, he smiled. "I guess we still have to earn the title of Fleet Intelligence."

"Your mother has gone out again." Slipping off his shirt, Felix let it fall to the floor. It was rare he and Lee had some alone time any more. Ever since they had returned from Pycon, either Lee had been at the base or Caroline was latched on to him. "I think she has taken a real shine to this Admiral Montrose. I think I might like him myself if he can keep her off my back."

"Well, I wouldn't be so quick to judge if I were you." Grabbing Felix by the waist, Lee tugged him down on top of him. "He seems to think you are a woman. Also, that I should do my solemn duty and knock you up."

"Is there anyone over the age of forty who hasn't lost their mind?" Chuckling as Lee shrugged, Felix leaned forward to kiss Lee's cheek. "I love how your skin feels under my lips. Even with those whiskers you are so keen on keeping these days. Rumpled may be sexy in the morning, Lee, but if you wear it all the time, it loses it's appeal."

"Come on, Felix, give it a try, you'll find having a beard will grow on you." It was Lee's turn to laugh as Felix nipped at his lips. "I've missed this."

"As well you should. If I find out you've been sleeping with other people, I'm afraid I will have to cut your balls off." He sighed. There was just something so beautiful to him about Lee. Each moment together was almost unreal. "I'm glad we got married."

Sobering up, Lee nodded. "For a while, I had my doubts. Now, I think we might have a chance." He paused a second. "But only if we have lots of sex. If we are going to have a relationship, it has to be built upon common ground. Good sex is always a great foundation."

"Oh yes, Captain Apollo, good sex as the basis of our relationship is solid!" Snickering, he let himself relax on top of Lee and let nature take its course.

Closing the apartment door behind her, Laura Roslin began to unbutton her shirt with relief. The suit felt more and more constricting as time went by. She was a teacher, how the hell had she ever let Adar talk her in to taking a more permanent job in politics? Laura was half way to her bathroom door when table lamp across the room turned on. "Who... Mr. Adama, what are you doing here? How did you get passed security?"

Twirling a curl of his hair in thought, Felix grinned lazily at her. "Your security system lacks imagination." Shrugging, he sat up in the wingback chair.

"What do you want?" More curious than angry, she took a few hesitant steps towards him.

"That will be quite far enough." When she stopped, he stretched. "I've been waiting for you to come home for a while. You and that boy of yours do like to keep long hours."

"Leave David out of this, he's only an intern." The simmering danger she had sensed before began to blare warnings in her body and she felt like running for the door. "I won't ask you again, what do you want?"

"You asked the question, I have finally decided to answer. Please, have a seat." He gestured at the chair across from his. Felix waited until she took it before he continued. "Two years ago, my name was Lieutenant Felix Gaeta on all official documents. Then, because of my previous...encounters with the Adamas, I was denied a posting upon graduation. For reasons that should be obvious, I made a deal with Admiral Etrinni to work for Fleet Intelligence for six months. After that time, I would be considered and granted a posting to a battlestar as a Junior Tactical Officer."

"Admiral Etrinni is dead, he died this morning." At his nod, she narrowed her eyes. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

"Sadly, no. He lied to me and I was forced to resign all together." Cracking his knuckles, Felix shifted in the chair. The memory still made his gut sour. "What I came here to tell you is a few details not even your president knows. But first, tell me what you know of Dr. Shenkar."

Laura had to consider the name for several minutes. At first it didn't ring any bells for her. Then she began to recall some information. It wasn't much, but she hoped it was relevant. "He was a geneticist who was disgraced by the Ministry of Science. His work was banned after his death during the cylon war."

"Correct, but not complete." She knew less than he had hoped. It explained why she hadn't caught on to what he was doing. "Dr. Shenkar believed the creation of cylons was a mistake. He believed that nothing artificial should be given intelligence. Only human beings had a soul, therefore we should concentrate on making more of us. His fields of expertise reflected this; genetic modification, cellular replication, and human reproduction. In short, he wanted to make a new race, a perfect race."

Rising from his chair, Felix flicked the fringe of the lamp shade. "His theory was that if we could modify the genetics of our own species, we could weed out the impurities, create a perfect human being. Of course, once he had succeeded, he learned there was a problem with this new being, it developed lots of defects from the process. To fix this, he focused on the replication of the cells, how they divided and how to make sure these new cells carried the selected DNA without mutating. Of course, these hybrid cells made the new person genetically sterile. Which leaves his final field of study."

"Human reproduction." The very thought of Shenkar's work made her skin shiver. If the cylons were supposed to be the perfect tools and they nearly wiped out humans, what would a perfect race do? "What does this have to do with you? Were you involved with the projects?"

"Yes, and no, but I am getting to that." He favored her with a frown. "One of the keys to Dr. Shenkar's work was that he believed, as a whole, these new beings would not have the one flaw the cylons suffered from. An inferiority complex." Snorting, Felix turned away from her. "Anyone who has encountered the cylons can tell you, they definitely did not feel inferior."

"All right, I understand why Dr. Shenkar became an outcast. Let's get back to why you are here." She was starting to feel more confidant as she grew to understand more about the man in front of her. The fact he was confessing this to her meant he had an agenda. If she could figure that out, she would have him. "I did a little more digging on you since our last encounter. You studied Dr. Shenkar's work before you went to the academy. From what I gather, your job as an FI Operative depended upon that knowledge. Did you have something to do with..."

"What happened to them was unfortunate, but necessary. They violated the statutes of the Ministry of Science's code of ethics." Back ramrod straight, he turned on her. He made sure with his expression that this part was not up for discussion. "At the end of the six months, I reported my findings and my actions for the FI Board of Admiralty. It was there I learned my contract with Etrinni was void. They gave me six weeks leave before I was to complete my next assignment or resign. I chose to resign."

"Why now? Why did you wait to tell... Etrinni." It became clear to her. He hadn't told her anything beyond general facts. "Your contract with Etrinni ended with his death. Everything you did for him is no longer protected."

"Fleet Intelligence believes other wise, and for now, it will remain so." Walking to the chair he had been sitting in, Felix sat on the arm. "Do what you wish with this knowledge, it is nothing you wouldn't have uncovered eventually." He started to reach for the light switch on the lamp, but stopped with his fingers on the knob. "There is one other thing. I have a message for your president. They're coming. Good night, Madam Secretary." With a flick of the knob the light was out and they were plunged in to darkness.

Diving for the table beside her, Laura pulled out a gun from the stand while simultaneously turning on the lamp on it. By the time she turned it on and took aim around her, Felix was already gone. Letting a shiver over take her, she glanced around one more time just to be safe. Something about him made her nerves twitchy.

Sitting back in her chair to let her heart settle down, Laura rubbed at her forehead. He was certainly good for a cardio work out. It would take some time to confirm what he said and draw her conclusions about his involvement, but there was one mystery solved. Felix was doing his duty, at least as he saw it. He was giving her an opportunity to prove herself worthy of his loyalty. There was just one problem with that.

She wasn't sure she wanted it.

THE END...


	3. Apathy to Fire

Title: Apathy to Fire

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 11875

Prompt:

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe

Summary: Forever feels like a day to Felix during the final year of the Twelve Colonies.

Author's Note: Gaeta never served on the Galactica.

Adjusting the leather rank sash over his uniform, Lee took a calming breath. His heart was beating faster than should for him being at rest and his palms were sweating. When he messed up the location of the sash again, nimble fingers slipped between his own and took it from him. He glanced in the mirror to the face over his shoulder.

Smiling back at Lee, Felix kissed his cheek. "Calm down, it's just a parade." After adjusting the sash for his husband, Felix flicked at his gelled hair. "I still think your mother's beautician ruined it. I was simply not meant to have spikes."

"Relax, in a month it will grow out again and you can do what you want with it." Laughing, Lee enjoyed the fact that they had so quickly reversed roles. For the fifth time that day he marveled at how well they went together. "And it isn't just a parade. You are only calm because you aren't in it."

"So it's the fifty-first colonial day parade, give me a break." He wasn't about to tell Lee how boring he found the entire thing. Since his husband had assigned to the honor guard of Admiral Montrose in the parade, all he could talk about was how great it would be. Felix had never thought Lee was in to pomp and grand standing, but apparently he had married a ten year-old. "There, now you look fine. Don't touch that sash again or I will rip it off with my teeth and we will spend the rest of the day in bed."

Lee actually gave pause to think about that option. It was tempting, so very tempting. In the end, he chose to leave the sash alone. It wasn't every day he got to be in a parade, even if he was only one of the guard. He was in the grandest parade in the twelve colonies, millions of people would be there to watch in person and billions more on their screens. Grinning, he felt radiant. "Do I really look good or is that your way of saying you a through with my uniform?"

"Both." Handing Lee a helmet, he watched his husband slipped it on. It was a modified version of the old warrior helmets, complete with plumage. "There, now you are a veritable peacock." Lifting the cape that went with the helmet, he displayed it over Lee's right shoulder in counterpoint to the leather rank sash. "I'm surprised they didn't give you swords."

"Check the case." He laughed at the look Felix shot him in the mirror. "Seriously, there should be a bronze sword in there." When his husband came back with a bronze sword on a woven leather belt, he raised his arms to let it be wrapped around his waist. "The hilt is supposed to sit just above my hip bone."

"I know how to put one on, Lee." As he snapped the belt in to place, he caught Lee eyeing himself in the mirror. He bit back a groan over his expression. "You are not wearing this to bed, so don't ask."

"Oh, come on! I let you wear that horrible tunic thing for 'Achilles and Paris'. Which, by the way, that you fantasize about being taken by a brutish man, is disturbing." Of course, the fact that Felix had been so good at playing a spoiled twit was also unsettling. He was distracted from his memories by warm hands settling over his crotch. "I'm not staying home, you can forget it."

"All right, Captain, let us make a deal. You can wear that costume to bed tonight, but I get to add something to it." Eyes twinkling, he grinned at Lee's reddening skin. "What do you say?"

"Warrior and Slave?" Voice husky, he so very much wanted it to be.

"Oh, don't hurt me, sir, I will do anything." Sliding his hands up Lee's sword, Felix grinned. "Anything."

"You bet your sweet ass you will."

Felix was well and truly drunk. He had thought this was what would be required to make it through the damned celebration, and so far, it wasn't working. Oh well, he could always cure that by getting completely shit faced. He had never gone that far in public before, but this was a special occasion. Up ending his ambrosia, he finished it quickly and signaled for another.

He was in the cafe at the base of his inlaw's building. The Ciercy Family pooled their wealth, the building being just another of the holdings. The entire clan owned a stake in it. He supposed, so long as he was married to Lee, he too owned a part of the building. Chuckling at that, Felix started on his newly delivered drink.

Sitting down across from him, Natasi smiled over Gaius' shoulder as he drank from the glass she held. "Hello, Gaeta."

Felix raised his head from his glass to blink at her. Grinning openly at her, he waved. "Hello, Six, how are you doing?"

"Six?" Having finished off his drink, Gaius wiped his mouth on Natasi's sleeve, much to her disgust. "Why are you referring to her as a numeral, Mr. Adama? For that matter, my dear, why did you call him Gaeta?"

Natasi picked up another glass and pushed it to Gaius' lips. "Be a good boy and drink." When he complied with her order, she turned back to Gaeta. "I am doing well, but have become concerned about you. We were walking down the street when I spotted you through the window. Why are you drinking alone?"

"My husband is in the stupid parade." Holding up the drink to toast her, Felix hiccuped. "I'm not sure if this is because I disapprove of it or because I just don't give a shit! Doesn't matter, I'm drunk, need to get drink more!"

"How very eloquent, Mr. Adama." Having finished his second drink, Felix repeated his wipe on Natasi's sleeve. When he got a slap to the head for his actions, he giggled. "My apologies to you and your husband. I'm sure you made a lovely bride."

"I believe you mean congratulations." Natasi tried, she really did, but Gaius was making loving him hard. When he lowered his head to her shoulder, she almost forgave him, that is until he started to snore. "Gaius?" Shaking her shoulder to dislodge him, she was surprised when he fell to the floor unconscious. "Humans really can not hold their alcoholic beverages."

"You're right." Putting his glass down, Felix rose from his chair. "I really should be getting back to my home. Lee will be upset I wasn't there to meet him at the end of the parade." Pointing to Gaius, he grinned. "Need my help pouring him in to a cab?"

"I am stronger than I look." Grabbing Baltar by the arm, she pulled him up to her body and dragged him towards the entrance of the cafe as Felix opened the door. As she passed him, she reached out a hand to run through his spiked hair. "Your look pleasing with curls."

"I told the same to Lee. He agrees." Fingering his locks, Felix shrugged. When they were out on the sidewalk, he raised his hand to signal a cab. "Well, it's been pleasant seeing you." Turning around as the cab pulled up to the curb, he swooned. His skin felt flush and his world was spinning. A pair of strong arms caught him. "Whoa, I don't feel so good." Head lulling back, his world went back.

Coming to himself, Felix rolled over and emptied the contents of his stomach on the ground. Mouth dry, stomach cramping, he rubbed at his head. The brightness of the light was like sharp knives stabbing in his head until he closed them. Even then, it was much too bright. Eyes watering, he staggered to his feet.

Felix used the brick wall he could feel under his one hand that wasn't covering his eyes to guide him forwards. Almost suddenly the sound of people and traffic hit him, making him wince. There was too much noise and light. It began pounding at him until he fell to his knees, crying out.

Burning hot hands crossed his skin and he jerked back, screaming. The skin where they had touched felt burned and blistered. Head pounding, he shook it to clear away all the pain. There was too much, too much pain. Crying out again, he clutched his head. "Go away! Go away, please, just go away!"

Rubbing his cheek where he had been dozing against the bed rail, Lee frowned. Something had awoken him. There was movement in the bed next to him and he glanced over. Seeing his husband staring back at him, he smiled and reached out to take his hand. "How are you feeling."

"Terrible." Voice raspy, Felix barely had the strength to squeeze Lee's hand in acknowledgement. He felt like his head was adrift from the rest of his body. The rest of his body was one big ache. "How long?"

"Seven days." Rubbing at his eyes to clear them, Lee yawned. "They believe it was the ambrosia. If it wasn't for some woman calling the police, they would have never have found you." He was heartened by Felix's squeeze of his hand again. "Here's a surprise, my mother actually took the time to visit. It might be just an attempt to see if I would soon be free to start making her grand children, but may be not."

Snorting, Felix flipped him off. "No kids."

"I told her, but she still has this notion..." Shaking it off, Lee grinned. There were better things to talk about. "You still owe me a night of Slave and Warrior."

"Schedule it in later. I believe I will go to sleep now." Closing his eyes, Felix let his mind drift. Soon afterwards, his breathing was evened out and Lee was alone again.

Releasing his husband's hand, Lee stood up and stretched. His back popped in several places relieving pain he hadn't been aware of. He was feeling lighter now that Felix had awakened to let him know he would be all right. Just as Lee was about to sit back down, the handle on the door turned and it opened. "Who's there?"

Poking her head through the door, Laura spotted Lee and smiled. "Am I disturbing you, Captain?"

Frowning, Lee shook his head. "Who are you?" He had gotten to know all the nurses and doctors on the ward in the past week. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't place from where.

Entering the room fully, Laura set the vase of flowers on the table next to the door then closed it. Pushing back her hair, she put her attache case next to the vase. "My name is Laura Roslin, I am a friend of your husband's. When I heard he was ill, I came over. I am sorry it has taken so long to visit, but your husband is some what of a recluse."

Still not completely convinced, Lee kept a suspicious eye on her. If she made a move that even remotely seemed off he would take care of her. "How do you know Daphne?"

"Felix is interested in a position I have opening soon. With the current political climate, my aide feels he can no longer work with me. Your husband believes he can fulfill my needs." She tried for a teasing tone, but seen it didn't go over well with Lee. Sighing, she took the chair on the other side of Felix's bed. "I am the Secretary of Education. My current aide disagrees with certain decisions I have made, thus he needs to be replaced. I was going to offer the position to Felix next week when it officially became available."

"Well he won't be able to take it next week, may be ever." Clutching Felix's hand, Lee glared at Roslin. If she thought she was going to take him away, she had another thing coming.

"Frankly, Mr. Adama, that isn't up to you. I still plan to offer it to him." If he wanted to be the big bad husband protecting his little lady, she could handle him. "Take my advice, don't let your instincts make you over protect him, he'll resent you for it."

"I'll keep it under advisement." Dismissing her from thought, Lee focused on his husband. He reached out to stroke Felix's face, enjoying the soft skin under his touch. With each gentle movement, he grew mesmerized until his whole world consisted of just him and Felix.

Picking up a magazine from the bedside table, Laura sat back, prepared to wait. Felix would wake up soon. Until then, she had nothing better to do.

"What's the matter, Montrose being treated for exhaustion?" Felix thrilled at the startled, then pissed look Caroline sent him. Upon waking up to find her sitting next to him, he had searched his mind for the perfect line to get her out of the brooding she had taken to. Apparently she was who Lee got it from. "How are you feeling today, Caroline?"

Settling down, Caroline still glared at him. "I am fine, you, however, look as if shit out by cerberus."

"Thank you, I feel it." Reaching over to the bed controls, he adjusted it until he was sitting up. He felt immensely stronger than the last time he had awakened. Casting a glance over to Caroline again, he sighed at her expression. "I suppose you've heard about my drinking problem."

"Apparently you can't hold your liquor." Patting his cheek, she smiled condescendingly at him. "Don't worry, Daphne, I'm sure this is has no bearing on your character."

"All right, cut it out you two!" Standing in the doorway with a cup of coffee in his hand, Lee scowled at them. Beside him, he could feel Laura watching with interest. "They are like wet cats, if I leave them alone they'll tear each other apart."

Snorting, Laura followed him in to the room. Taking off her glasses, she put them in her shirt pocket. "Hello, Felix."

"Madam Secretary. What can I do for you?" Pushing back his matted hair, Felix tried to look presentable for her. A sense of duty made him keep her gaze.

"Actually, I've come to see you. I have come to offer you a position." She took the seat on Felix's other side, leaving Lee to sit on the bed next to him. "David's politics and mine are no longer compatible. I would be willing to work on this, he isn't. In two weeks I will need a new aide, are you interested?"

Felix put a hand on Lee's shoulder to silence him before he could speak. "Felix Gaeta would be happy to serve."

Catching his meaning, Laura nodded. His name would catch a few eyebrows; an unknown becoming an aide to her was note worthy. "I'll have the proper documents drawn up and David clear out his office."

"Thank you, Madam Secretary." Pleasure of having a job coursed through him and Felix closed eyes to luxuriate in the feeling. Some times life was good.

"In two weeks the Admiralty are hosting a banquet to mark the fortieth anniversary of the end of the cylon war. While security should not be a problem, sir, I have assigned a full detail of marines to escort you." After handing over the report, Lee looked directly ahead and stood at attention. His job as head of security for Admiral Montrose was hardly routine, the man liked to make a lot of public appearances in areas of civil unrest. "Your upcoming trip to Sagitteron next week is what I am really worried about. They are still refusing to let us place our people among the crowd with weapons."

"This is a public relations rally, Lee, not a prison camp indoctrination." Standing from the chair he thought was far too comfortable, Montrose unbuttoned his uniform. He grinned as Lee immediately moved to take his jacket. "I have a personal steward, Captain, there is no need."

"I'm sorry, sir, it was instinctual." Backing away, Lee resumed his stance. The admiral's familiar tone was making him uneasy. It meant the admiral had a date with his mother, again. "The pilots are getting restless, sir. I would suggest we allow them at least two hours of flight tonight before they go off duty or there might be problems."

"Let me guess, you plan on keeping an eye on them from a bird of your own?" Montrose couldn't even fake a stern facade under the conditions and chuckled deeply. "See to it, then. Let them go out past IO then bring them in for a few laps of the compound. If that doesn't tire them out, the lads and ladies down on Imperica can try."

"Yes, sir!" Saluting, Lee backed away. He spun around and marched out of the admiral's office.

Montrose waited until he was certain Lee had left his secretary's office before picking up the handset. He typed in the key sequence and waited for the response. "Coast is clear." Hanging up the handset, he sat back and waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

Slipping in through the side door behind the flags of the colonies, Caroline glanced about the office. Not that she was doing any thing wrong, she just enjoyed the thrill of pretending to sneak around. Pulling open her suit jacket, she slipped on to the edge of Montrose's desk. "So, how is big, bad Circie going to deal with her poor little Odysseus?"

"Enchant me, make me yours!" Already slipping out of his shirt, he grinned at her.

Their laughs echoed through the door to Lee who had been raising his hand to knock. Feeling like he was going to get sick, he blocked all thoughts from his mind and marched back out. Montrose could deal with the alterations in his itinerary later.

Easing himself from his chair, Felix glared at the kitchen. Whoever had entered had scared the hell out of him by slamming the door in the hall. "Lee, if that is you, there had better be a good reason why you are trying to scare me to death?"

"My mother and Montrose, in his office." Shuddering, Lee fought not to picture them in his mind. The problem was his imagination, he was always vivid. "They're driving me crazy, Felix, I don't know how much longer I can take it."

"You poor dear." Leaning against the doorway to the dining room, Felix held out a shaky hand. He wanted Lee to get over it, his mother was a woman and he needed to accept that. Unfortunately, all Lee saw when he looked at Caroline was his mother, the sexless matron. Snorting, Felix could never picture that woman as anything less.

Drawing himself up tall, Lee walked over to Felix and stared him down. "You may find this funny, but I don't particularly care for it. My mother is a grown woman who is acting like a lusty teenager. It is disgraceful and disgusting." By the time he had finished Felix was clutching him, laughing so hard he was having trouble breathing. "I fail to see what is so funny."

Felix laid his head upon Lee's shoulder, letting his body relax in to his husband's embrace. It felt good to be in his arms, the comforting smell of Lee all around him. He closed his eyes just to feel and listen to his husband breathe. Having Lee hold him made the rest of the world go away.

Feeling foolish, Lee kissed Felix's cheek. "Did you miss me?"

"Not really. I had a pair of your underwear to keep me company." These were the moments he loved the most. The ache of loneliness would disappear completely. "Do you feel up to taking me in to the bedroom?"

"I am not in the mood for sex, Felix." When Felix sagged against him, he understood the meaning behind the question. Bending down, he stuck one arm under Felix's legs to lift him up, using the other to wrap around his back under his arms. He would have been worried if he didn't know the cause. "I'll be so damn glad when that Chamalla is completely out of your system."

Without the strength to respond, Felix closed his eyes and let the exhaustion take him.

Moving slowly, Felix used the cane to support his weight as he entered Roslin's office. Hair perfectly coiled in tiny ringlets, held in place by gel, he knew he was immaculate in appearance. The perfectly creased suit added to the sharp angles. His paling skin gave him an air of cold heartedness. So long as no one looked at his death grip on the cane, his image was hard.

There were already four people in the office, not including Roslin herself. He gave the others a quick once over before dismissing them visibly from thought. "Madam Secretary, how may I be of service today?"

Rising from her chair, Laura quickly erased the irritated look she had been giving her guests to smile for Felix. "Ah, Mr. Gaeta, nice to see you up and about. I am surprised that it is so soon."

"My condition is only a factor if I let it be." Leaning heavily upon his cane as he placed it between his legs in front of him, Felix smiled for her. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually, yes." Moving from behind her desk, Laura walked over to him and placed a hand upon his arm. She cast a glance over to her guests and smiled wide. "If you will excuse me, Mr. President, I have some urgent business I need taken care of. Come, Mr. Gaeta, let's go." Letting him set the pace, she walked beside him out of the office.

He raised an eyebrow, taking in their similar heights. It was weird being around people who were the same height as he. At the academy, everyone was always taller or shorter than him. Ever since he had married Lee, there had only been people his height in his life. It was very reassuring. Closing the door behind them, he frowned. "What is the matter, Ms Roslin?"

"Nothing is the matter, Mr. Gaeta, I simply felt the need to get some air." Taking his free arm, she slid along beside him. She watched the corridor ahead of them in thought. There were a hundred reasons she didn't want to be around Adar at that moment, which meant there were a hundred reasons she needed to thank Felix. "How about I show you around the capital building for today and then let you get back home?"

Felix was reluctant to be little more than a diversion, but he did need to learn where everything was. "Very well, but only if you fill me in on their function as well."

"You have yourself a deal." As they exited her outer offices, they came upon a desk with a plaquered. She pointed to it. "Your name is already inscribed on it. You can start any time you are ready."

"Tomorrow will be fine." Allowing her to guide him once more, they left his soon to be office area and entered the capital building proper.

"Tauron Fire Cakes are limited to those with at least one-fifth Tauron heritage, other wise they are too toxic. Madam Secretary, I would recommend you avoid them. Despite your grand mother, there is too much Aerilon in your blood for them to be healthy." Handing Roslin the menu for the Admiral's banquet, Felix pointed to the highlighted foods. "The Celestial Luna Cakes are like wise recommended for you to avoid. There is a chance your mother's resistance will have passed to you. Tauron's have a notorious aversion to the fungus used to marble the cheese; bad taste, terrible heart burn, and flatulence are just a few of the side effects."

"Well, we would certainly wish to avoid that." Laughing at his expression, Roslin gave him a humoring look. She had to place a hand upon his to keep him from going on. "I know all this, my doctor and I had long talks about these very foods when I was a little girl. Why, I seem to recall spending entire nights crying from cramps caused from eating only one of the sweets my friends had gorged themselves upon. Do not worry, Felix, I know quite well what to expect."

"Be that as it may, there have been several new dishes prepared for this one banquet that have not been revealed to the public just yet. The ingredients have only been revealed now because of dietary contradictions." Taking her hand, he put it on the highlighted foods. "These are yours based upon your file. I have taken the trouble of doing this to spare you discomfort and a trip to the emergency room. If you do not wish to go over them now, read them before tonight."

"There is no need. As my assistant, you are coming with me." Balling up the paper, she placed it against his chest. Her announcement had silenced him and she planned to keep him that way for a while. "I believe you have some arrangements to make for yourself now that you know, so I'll let you get to them. Pick me up here at five. No, wait, better make it five-thirty."

"Madam Secretary, Laura." Facing down, he looked up at her from under his brow. "You know very well why I can not go to this banquet. A conflict of interests doesn't begin to cover it."

"As a former military person, I would be remiss in not employing you to the fullest extent of your duties." Smiling, she pointed at the door. "In other words, you don't have a choice. Wear something in white and moss green, it compliments your natural colors and will match my outfit. I'll let you decided on whether a hat is appropriate or not. Good day." Putting on her glasses, she sat down in her chair and pulled out a copy of the latest Teacher's Gazette. There was a wonderful article on the students of a Pycon university's debate team, especially the captain, Billy something.

Seeing he hadn't won that fight, he tossed the menu in to her lap. Since she was determined to read something, she could catch up on colonial cuisine. Limping along with his cane, he headed for the door. He barely needed it any more, but Lee insisted he use it until a week after his hands stop shaking. Of course, he had to do five jumping-jacks before they did the hand tests. If that kept up, he would never be free of the cane.

"I am never going to forgive you for this." White suit with a green shirt, Felix glared through a smile at Roslin. She was on his good arm, smiling at the everyone who looked their way.

"Keep smiling, Felix, I have less wish to be here than you." Laura raised her head to take in all the decorations in the massive hall. There were thousands of people there, roughly one fifth of them Admirals past and present. Everyone seemed to be talking at once and the noise was deafening in the right locations. She deftly guided Felix from those areas, having been in the hall before. "We are here for only another hour, long enough to hear Negala and the President's speeches, then we can go."

"I would rather we weren't here at all." Allowing her to lead him through the crowd to the buffet table, he grabbed a fluke off a passing waiter's tray. If he was going to suffer through this, he was going to need some help. A small part of him reminded him of what happened last time he had tried that, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. A coma was a small price to pay for being able to ignore these pompous asses.

Laura saw Felix down the glass too late to stop him. Taking it from him angrily, she tossed it at a handful of bushes they passed. "Do not ever let me catch you do that again."

"Yes, mother." Snickering, Felix already felt the effects of the alcohol in his system. May be the evening wouldn't turn out so bad after all. The closer they got to the table, more people appeared and he began to feel closed in. This was wrong, something about the party was off. People's voices blurred together and the lights intensified.

Clutching at his head, Felix started to pant. The temperature was increasing and made his suit uncomfortably warm. He tugged his jacket open, the noise seeming to fade in and out. He pushed Laura away when she reached for him. "Stay away! Pathetic, all of it, all of you!" Shaking his head, he tried to clear away whatever was impairing his senses. "None of you deserve salvation, none of you are worthy of my message! They are coming! Coming and none of you will be able to stop them. None of you!"

Where he thought he had been yelling, Felix's words were barely a whisper. Holding his arms as he was dragged away, Lee and Montrose groaned under their burden.

"What the hell is he going on about?" Frowning at Felix, Montrose glanced over his shoulder at Laura. "Did someone slip him something?"

"Bad reaction to Ambrosia and Chamalla." Trying to make light of it, Laura reached out and ran a hand through Felix's hair. "He spent so much time warning me about what foods were toxic to me that he forgot about his own health."

"Chamalla?" Staring back at Felix in concern, he was startled to see the wide brown eyes locked on him. "What?"

Felix clutched the admiral's uniform, bringing him down until they were face to face. "Fires will cleanse the scourge that is humanity, casting out the defilers adrift in the heavens. Twelve shall seek thirteen under one banner amid the chaos. Two families will fall as the stars rise and no peace will be for those who are left in the ashes. So it is written, so say we all!"

Visibly shaken, Montrose rubbed at his left wrist and the bracelet of beads hidden there under his uniform. "You are a very sick young man. I don't think you should be imbibing of such strong cocktails."

"Back off, sir." Getting between the admiral and Felix, Lee eased Felix in to his arms. "I'll make sure the man get's home. Madam Secretary, if you would be so kind as to tell me where he lives, I can make sure he gets there."

"I'll do one better, Captain." Holding on to Felix's cane, she led the way out of the banquet hall. The moment the noise of the crowd disappeared behind the closed doors, she felt the weight of her life lift from her shoulders. She turned to Lee as he came up beside her with Felix. "I never thought I would be happy for a bad reaction."

"What was he thinking?" Lee felt his anger drain out as Felix laid his head upon his shoulder. As much as he wanted to deny it, he had to admit his husband's reactions had garnered him the freedom from the banquet he had sought.

"It's partially my fault. I made him come tonight." As they walked down the steps towards the curb, Laura signaled her driver. "Had I known how much he despised these events, I would never have made him come. It is probably a good thing to know this now, and start looking for a replacement for him."

"No, don't. Please." Lee looked over his husband's head to meet Laura's gaze. "Please, for him. He's excited about this job. Felix's problem is not with social functions, but with tonight's function. The Admiralty to be specific."

"I should have known that." She didn't have a chance to say more as the car arrived. Opening the door, she glanced to him. "Is your transport here or do you need a lift?"

"Mine is coming around the corner now." He pointed to a valet pulling up to the curb in a blue sedan. "I'll take him home and make sure he gets some rest."

Slipping the cane in to his free hand, she nodded her thanks. "I'm sorry this happened again, Captain, really, I am."

"So am I. You'll forgive him if he takes the rest of the week off." Easing Felix in to the passenger seat of his car, Lee put the cane in his lap and closed the door. He gave Roslin one final searching look before walking around to climb in his car.

Laura watched them leave. A quick glance showed they had gone unnoticed by the staff, who were busy attending to still arriving guests. This had been just another piece added to the puzzle.

She had heard a few of the words Felix was saying. His final words to the admiral had been a quote, but from what she couldn't remember. But what haunted her were a repeat of his words to her. Who was coming? What had he seen that caused him to react so erratically?

Deciding to give him a second chance, she finally climbed in her car and had the driver take her away.

Shoving off Lee, Felix used the wall to guide himself to their bedroom. Despite his attempt to walk away, Lee followed him. Before he could slam the bedroom door, Lee was in the jam blocking it. "Leave me alone!"

"No way in hell is that happening, Felix!" Crossing his arms, he leaned in the jam to block Felix's exit. "What were you thinking tonight?"

"That a drink seemed like a good idea." Snorting, Felix tugged off his shirt. His body was heating up again and he needed to cool off. "Evidently I didn't get nearly enough if this was the results."

"So you're trying to kill yourself, is that it? If so, you're doing a fine job!" He reacted quick enough to grab Felix's shirt before it hit him in the face. The jacket was down in the car, he wasn't too sure the doors were closed. Felix had been too much in a hurry to get up to their apartment. "How far do you have to go before this frakking shit stops?"

"Oh don't start with me, daddy's boy! You're one to talk when it comes to wreckless behavior. You think I don't know how much effort you go to just to impress that old son of a bitch in the sky? Face it, Heracles, Zeus is in Olympus and he doesn't give a frak's sake about his son!" Felix grinned when Lee's glare increased to near murderous. "He didn't care enough about your brother to listen to me, what makes you think he cares for you at all?"

Raising his fists, Lee shot off from the door at Felix, and ended up on his ass across the room for his efforts. Putting a hand to his forehead, he tried to think of what happened.

Kneeling down in front of Lee, Felix snarled. "You ever try that again, Baby Adama, and you're face won't be the only thing broken!" Pain suddenly became clear on Felix's face and he clutched his head. Falling to the floor at Lee's feet, he clutched at his husband. "Lee?"

One hand holding the cut on his forehead, Lee used the other to pull Felix in to his lap. He stroked the other man's back, wracked with sobbing, while he placed his lips to Felix's curls. Baby Adama. Zak had told him once that his hard assed CO had called him that. Felix had mistaken him for his brother. "You're not leaving the apartment until I say so. Until I am sure you are okay."

Eyes staring off unseeing, Felix nodded. He hadn't been ready. "I'm sorry, Lee, it won't happen again."

"We'll make sure of that." Tightening his grip, he winced from the pain flaring in his arm. "Where did you learn to throw someone like that?"

"Your brother was... I had to get extra training to handle extreme situations." Letting his heart slow down, Felix felt the strength leave his body. "They betrayed me, Lee. As far as I am concerned, the cylons can take them all."

"What? Felix, what did you mean by that?" Checking on his husband, Lee found him unconscious. Sighing, he eased Felix out so that he could make him more comfortable on the floor since he was in no shape to lift him. He pulled the blankets and pillows off the bed to tuck his husband in. Favoring his sore arm, he went in to the bathroom to fix up his cut.

When he came out of the bathroom, he heard the handset ringing. Walking over to the beside table, he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Lee, what happened? Toulein told me about how you helped someone home and I knew he was talking about Daphne." Caroline's voice was tight and controlled, but she made sure Lee understood how angry she was.

"He had a drink, mother. Because he hasn't healed, the reaction was quicker than last time." Lee bit his lip to stop from yelling at his mother. She wasn't to blame, and had every reason to be angry. His husband should have had more control. "Are you having a good time?"

"I was. Sadly, the evening seems ruined." She was tempted to leave it at that, but figured since she lived with him, he would never let her hear the end of it. "Not because of Daphne, though he contributed to it. Your father is here, apparently they are making some big announcement."

Rolling his eyes, Lee took off his shirt. "Oh great, I can just imagine. Mother, promise me you won't get Montrose to kill him."

"I make no promises." Fingering the cord on her handset, Caroline grinned. "Don't wait up, bye!" She hung up.

"Mother! Mom! Damn it!" Hanging up the handset, Lee glared at it. Figuring the evening shot, he walked in his underwear to the living room to watch the television. His mother could handle Montrose and his father all on her own.

"What?" Lee couldn't believe his ears. He had come in early to make up for leaving the admiral the night before. There had been the hope of nothing going bad, but his father had seen fit to ruin that. "What do you mean Galactica is being decommissioned? How could he let that happen?"

"The commander has decided to retire from the service." Montrose watched Lee with concern. "As your father, I thought for sure he would have told you before the rest of us."

"My father and I do not talk. The base's comm officers are under orders not to allow any wireless communiques from him to reach me." Feeling like he was going to explode, Lee began to pace the office. "Did he say when this was going to happen?"

"Eight months, just after the six month's fleet inspections. You really should start accepting his comms, Captain." Holding up his hands to ward off Lee's glare, Montrose shook his head. "I'm not saying as a father, but as a superior officer. If you are to receive fleet news from him..."

"I will receive it. But all private messages are off limits, sir." Feeling his anger about to explode, Lee stepped in front of the admiral and snapped a salute. "Permission to be dismissed for the day, sir."

"Granted." Montrose didn't know what had transpired between Lee and his father, but Caroline had certainly been in high spirits over the news. In fact, she had laughed until her sides ached. He would have asked why, but shortly after she stopped laughing, the Commander had appeared and they went off for the rest of the night. Out of respect for Caroline, he hadn't told that part to Lee.

"I've asked, the president has given his blessing. Now, all I need is the permission of the admiralty. It will take a little work, but I believe it will be worth the effort. What do you think?" Picking up her glass of cider, Laura sat back and began to sip it. She had been at the Adama apartment for fifteen minutes and already felt her excitement triple.

Putting down his sandwich, Felix shrugged. He didn't know what to say exactly. It put an end to the last of his hopes of serving in the fleet. "I believe the admiralty will agree. Galactica is too valuable a reminder to just let her rot in a salvage yard."

"That is what I believe as well." Enjoying their rapport, she was shaken when the door to the apartment flew open and slammed against the wall behind her head. She set her drink down and stood up in anticipation of whoever came down the hall. Seeing Lee, she felt a little guilty for being there working with Felix. "Captain Adama, it is good to see you."

Lee stopped mid stride upon seeing her. He hadn't expected Laura to be there. But since she was, he turned to Felix accusingly. "Working?"

"You said nothing about working from home." He enjoyed the twitch of veins in Lee's throat. Rising from his chair, he used the furniture to help him reach Lee. "Why are you back so early? Something happen at the base?"

"My father has decided to retire, but that is beside the point. You are supposed to be taking it easy. We agreed you would until you are well. This is not taking it easy!" Lee had begun walking as he talked. He finished with yelling in Felix's amused face. "Is there something funny about this?"

Reaching out over the short distance that separated them, Felix kissed Lee on the nose. "I love you when you get over protective. I am fine, we were just discussing last night, not work. I promise." Seeing Lee wasn't clearly buying it, he gestured to the kitchen. "Dinner is simmering in the crockery, I finished early and invited Laura over because I knew you would be just like this about last night."

"Great, just great. My husband is a freaking know it all genius and his boss is the secretary of education. I suppose between the two of you, you can explain every thing away in purely logical terms." His words lacked sting as Felix had wrapped his arms around Lee's waist. With his dark haired husband hanging off him like a drunken tramp, he felt his cheeks redden. "Not in front of other people."

Face against Lee's neck, Felix growled. "Then quit trying to seduce me." He nipped at Lee's ear for effect then let go. "Logic is far from what we were discussing. More like sentiment."

"Correct. We both feel the Galactica should be preserved, not just scrapped." Taking up the conversation, Laura took a drink from her glass to wet her dry throat. Seeing the two of them together reminded her that Felix was indeed a young man, not just her assistant. "I am presenting a proposal to the admiralty tomorrow to allow me to turn the Galactic in to a museum and teaching aide. Because of his feelings for the Admiralty, I have specifically told Felix he is not to be involved."

"At least not in the proposal. If the Galactica... What?" He had trailed off as Lee started to snicker. Felix frowned at his husband's actions. "What are you laughing at?"

"You want to turn the Galactica in to a floating Museum. My father's ship, his home. That's priceless!" Clutching his sides, he had to lean in to Felix to keep from falling over he was laughing so hard. "Please, please let me be there when you tell him."

Grinning despite not knowing what had made Lee so happy, she nodded. "Sure, why not."

On Lee's arm, Felix took his first steps out of the apartment in nearly a month. He no longer required help or support, but this was a special occasion. Keeping his hand over his eyes to ward off the setting sun, he smiled to no one and everything. The feel of the air over his skin made him want to laugh out loud, it was such a wonderful sensation.

In the past few days he had become so anxious to just get out, but his agreement with Lee had forced him to be patient. It had been a battle between his will and his need to be free. Eventually he had proven to himself that he was stronger than he had thought. His secret had been keeping himself focused on whatever he set out to accomplish by sheer will alone.

Dressed in a casual shirt and shorts, he watched with an air of impatience as Lee left him to open his door. There wasn't a point to saying something, it would only spoil the mood. Lee would continue to coddle him until he felt safe again, and that would take time. Until then, Felix had to bite his tongue and let his husband pamper him.

Climbing in the car, he looked up at the apartment. It really was a pretty building, even if he hated being couped up inside some times. One day he would tell Lee everything, then may be he would call it home.

His first day back at work with Roslin was to a gaggle of interns, aides, and media personnel. Not everyone knew what they were doing, half of them weren't even sure they should have been there. Felix began deftly sorting them out and had weeded their number to fifteen from forty in two minutes. Of those left, he had sent four up to the office and made the other eleven wait. After taking off his jacket, he picked up the briefing itinerary from the hands of a boy who barely looked old enough to shave. "May I help you?"

Staring at Felix in shock, the boy blinked. "Um, excuse me, I was using that."

"Now, you're not. You must be Daniel. My name is Felix, I am Madam Secretary's personal aide and you are no longer required." Grabbing the young man's coat off his desk, he handed it to him and pushed him away with the same hand. "You no doubt know where the steno pool is, go, mingle with your own kind until you are old enough to breed."

Dismissing the temp from his mind and sight, Felix grabbed all the papers littering the desk and shoved them in the trash can. If it was important, Laura would have it with her in her office. She often complained the boy was only good for keeping the people out of her office by his sheer incompetence. He did a quick glance over the paper work, he sighed. It was going to be busy day.

Grabbing the cups he brought with him from his brief case, he snapped it shut and set it down on the floor under the desk. Taking the stairs to Roslin's office, he counted down from ten. On zero, he opened the door to find her staring at a watch. "Madam Secretary, your tea from Suheul Cafe and a fresh pint of berries from the Hesperidies Gardens compliments of Caroline. She sends you her best and tells me to inform you that Tritons are wild for the game Saturday night. Your next appointment after these four are finished begins in half an hour, the defense secretary wishes to confer with you on command codes for the Galactica Museum, and a Michael Bowez from Ishtar InterColonial wishes to schedule an appointment. Shall I send him packing now, or let him infer it when I simply refuse to acknowledge his existence the rest of the day?"

"Five minutes, I am impressed, that is twenty seconds over your previous time. Tell Caroline Tritons were trump last Saturday, Shells are what we agreed for this week. Also, the fruit is welcomed, but Hesperidies Gardens is much too exotic for a pint. Next time I expect not to be insulted by a mere pittance of her hoard. These four are finished, send in the next one, and tell the defense secretary we will do lunch tomorrow." Checking her watch, she waved the four scowling business men out of her office past Felix. "Also, don't leave the man waiting, he is irritating, but it sets a bad precedence."

"Very good." He set her drink and fruit on her desk and marked off the appointment on the itinerary. Feeling in his element, he twisted the papers up to check the next day's bookings. Felix pulled out the pen and marked down the lunch. "Madam Secretary, your lunch for today?"

"Minos' Labyrinth, table for six. The president and four of his friends wish to discuss a possible appearance at a social function. I am sure he will assign me to it, make sure I am booked up for that date so I can't go." She watched with amazement while Felix jotted down her words. He really did know what he was doing. For the first time in a month, she thought not replacing him had been a good idea.

Bowing out of her office, he walked back down the steps to send up the next party.

Standing next to Laura, Felix looked out over the crowd that had gathered to announce the final tour of the Galactica. For such a historic event, there were few people. Most of the reporters were from minor networks seeking a fluff piece, only two of the twelve major colonial networks had sent people. He had tried to tell Roslin not to hold such an announcement in a large area, the Delphi Historical Museum, but she hadn't listened. From her look, he could tell she was regretting it.

Lost in her own thoughts, Roslin was dismayed by the lack of coverage. It should have been a major event. There were more people covering the destruction of the Olympus, ten years ago. Then again, the Galactica was getting an old soldier's retirement, not something as news worthy as terrorist carnage. She was about to walk away when the MC stepped up to the microphone.

Clutching the microphone, the woman smiled for the reporters to get their attention. "Thank you for coming to such a historic occasion. We of the Colonial Historical Society welcome the chance this represents. As you know, fifty-one years ago, the Twelve Colonies banded together under a central leadership. Part of this effort was the construction of twelve BattleStars to combat the cylon threat. Of those twelve, only the Galactica now remains. She alone has survived to her final tour. A relic of a bygone era, she will take her place among the crown of jewels of Colonial History."

Snorting, Felix ignored the few people around him who glared at him. The fools would know soon enough just how bygone the era really was.

"As part of her final tour, the BattleStar Galactica will complete her final run during the cylon war." The lights dimmed behind the MC and a black screen behind her lit up with a relief of the colonial system. A dotted path leading from behind Caprica's first moon towards a large dark red line then back was the only marking. "From her previous engagement in orbit of Caprica, to chasing the Cylons all the way to what is now the Armistice Line, and back again. A final, twelve day journey. Upon her return, she will face one final inspection. Two days afterwards, her decommissioning ceremony will end her fifty-one year service. Then, finally, she can rest, marking the end of a dark chapter in our history."

As the audience cheered and clapped loudly, Felix tossed down his empty glass and stormed away. Let them believe what they wanted. So what if he alone knew the truth, they would all see. They would know.

Watching from the second floor, Natasi shared a look with herself.

"I think Montrose and your mother are getting serious, Lee." Putting down the silverware, Felix put the final touches on their dinner.

In the kitchen, Lee was tending the sauce for the dish he was making. "Well, it's about time. I was two steps away from calling my grand mother and telling on my mother." When it had reached the consistency of liquid metal, he took it off the fire and poured it over the meat. "How did you come across this revelation?"

"Caroline has stopped referring to Montrose to Laura as 'Him'. Considering your mother, that is a fairly significant step." Frowning over his words, Felix shook it off. "Did you want beer or fruit juice? Laura and your mother are having the fruit juice."

"Better make it a beer. One of the Memphis Golds, I'm in the mood for something bitter." Carrying the platter with the meats and vegetables on it from the kitchen, Lee set it at the center of the table. "I'll be right back, the pear and mango sherbet is sitting out and I need to put in the chiller for dessert."

"I don't know how you can eat that crap. Mangos and Pears do not go together, it's biologically impossible. As a geneticist, my word is law." Shuddering, Felix poured Lee's drink from the clay urn, then returned the vessel to the rack in the pantry. "Why do you and your mother import in the old fashioned crockery again?"

"Keeps it fresh tasting longer. The bottles make it sterile and flat. Beer is supposed to be fermented and bubbly." At his husbands look of disgust, Lee kissed him on the cheek. "You don't have to like it, just pour it for me like the good house husband."

"Keep it up and you'll find yourself sleeping on the couch like the bad husband." He patted Lee's ass cheek and walked around the table to his seat. "Laura! Caroline! Time to eat!"

"They're not children, Felix." But his words were held false as said women came dragging their heels to the dinner table. He stared in absolute astonishment as the women reluctantly took their seats, but slouched in their chairs. "I stand corrected, I guess."

"You were right, Felix, his neck does bulge in anger." Watching Lee's neck in fascination, Caroline shrugged. "I had never noticed that."

Turning on his husband, Lee stared at them in accusation. "You put them up to this, just to see if my neck..."

"Wow, he must really be angry." Chuckling, Laura shared a glance with Caroline and had to clutch the table to keep from falling from her chair.

Finding the bed beside him cold, Lee awoke searching for Felix. It wasn't the first time. In the last two months he had found his bed frequently empty in the middle of the night. Sighing, he put on a robe, tying the sash around his waist. Walking out of their bedroom, he padded to the kitchen. Lee found him in his usual place.

Life would have been a lot simpler if whatever Felix was stressing over he would talk about. However, every time Lee brought it up, his husband would change the subject. Tonight seemed to be no different for them. Taking the stool out from under the counter, he slid it next to Felix's at the kitchen sink to stare out the window. "Find anything tonight?"

"The stars." A rare city wide crack down on power wasting had caused the stars to become visible from the city. In two weeks when normal usage was allowed to be restored, they would become hazy or disappear all together once more. "Have you ever thought about just going out there one day? See what it would be like beyond the red line?"

"When I was a boy." The admission surprised Lee. He hadn't really thought about such a thing in a long time. Leaning on the counter top, he searched for the familiar constellations. "When I was a boy, if you caught him the right mood, my father would show us the locations of the major battles during the war. I memorized every place, vowing to myself to visit them one day."

"Did you?" Curious, Felix switched his view from the stars to that of his husband.

"Once. I was on patrol back when I was a First Lieutenant." Closing his eye against the memory, Lee shook his head. "It was a graveyard. Cygnus Elegy, the bloodiest battle of the cylon war. The massive war cruisers still litter the stellar field there. After that, I never sought another one out."

"I was there once." Felix wondered if his voice was as cold as he felt. It wouldn't hurt anything to let Lee know this. It had been a long time ago, nothing to hurt him now. "The Olympus was on a patrol, I was a third shift comm officer. I picked up chatter over the wireless, too many of them to be random background signals. The officer of the watch ordered course altered to investigate."

Lee had heard a little of this when he was in school. The Olympus' destruction was covered on all the major networks. He could tell from Felix's body language how much this bothered him to speak of it.

"We should have called the Commander to CIC immediately, but Colonel Olani didn't believe it was much. The moment we crossed the threshold in to Cygnus Elegy the Dradis lit up and we were surrounded. Before we could sound Alert Status One, half the crew was dead and the ship in a tail spin from the attack." Rubbing at his eyes, Felix sighed in regret. "I was knocked unconscious shortly after sounding the general distress call for the fleet. Apparently, in the roll, we clipped the remains of an Aerilon Heavy Cruiser.

"For two days the fighting continued through out the ship as the raiders took everything they could get their hands on. No one came to check out what had sent the distress signal. They thought we were an old colonial ship who's wireless was malfunctioning." Tense with anger, Felix clutched the sink basin with tight fists. "A battlefield memorial maintenance crew sent out to silence us made the discovery of a life time and earned a claim to fame as the people who saved the Olympus' incapacitated crew. Fifty survivors out of two thousand, three hundred. Half of those were cylon war veterans who were supposed to be there teaching.

"The Olympus was supposed to be a training cruiser, not a combat vessel." Felix went silent as he looked out the window again. The stars were shining still and he wanted to be among them. "After Cygnus Elegy, I was sent to Pycon Military Academy to study with the grand son of the Olympus' Commander. I never did find him and a year later I graduated to Archimedes University."

They sat in silence for a while afterwards. Not knowing what to say, Lee wrapped an arm around Felix's shoulders. They sat together for the next hour before Lee dragged them both to bed.

"I don't trust this, nothing good can come of it." Cain dropped the briefing folder on the table between her and Admiral Metahart. "Since when do we let civilians design the most sophisticated programs in the fleet without letting our own people go over it line by line?"

"Your objection has been noted several times." Closing the folder, Metahart sat back in her chair to glare at Cain in all her glory. "And it has been dismissed. You are wreckless and your methods brutal. It was decided to go ahead without your approval and input. Then again, we already knew where you stood."

"My objections are valid, you are just too stubborn to see it! If you had let me do things my way this new program would never have been brought in to existence. We don't need it!" By the time Cain finished, she was leaning over the table, breathing heavily. The old crone thought she knew what was best for the fleet, but Rear Admiral Hellena Cain had news for the old bitch. "If you think I am going to allow this any where near my ship you have another thing coming!"

"Ignorance and Insolence, your two most endearing qualities." Far from intimidated, Metahart was elated. It wasn't every day one got to see the fiery passion that made Cain the youngest admiral in the fleet. "In two months time, you will bring the Pegasus to the Scorpion Fleet Yards for these upgrades and you will learn to live with it. If not, there is always early retirement."

Standing tall, Cain's jaw tightened in suppressed rage. One day, this old bitch would be put in her place. "In two months, we shall see."

"Yes, I do suppose we will." As she watched Cain salute then storm out, Metahart released her grip on the pistol under her desk. One could never be too cautious when considering Cain and their own vitality.

"Do you know what this is about?" Dressed in his white suit with the green shirt, Felix held Lee's hand as they entered the restaurant. The valet parking had been a pleasant surprise for him, but what he enjoyed more was Lee's threat to the valet. It wasn't everyday he got to see his husband put his training in action.

"No, but apparently it has Montrose and my mother very excited." At the wait station, the hostess greeted them and Lee took the lead. "Adama, guests of Montrose."

"Ah, he is expecting you." She took a moment to check out Lee, then Felix. Her eyes widened at the sight of their joined hands. "I'm sorry, sir, but I was informed your wife would be accompanying you."

"Caroline," Felix muttered in anger. He knew she was behind that.

Snickering, Lee raised their hands. "This is my 'husband', Felix."

"Oh, I am sorry, sir. Your mother and Admiral Montrose said... Well, never mind, right this way." Leading them on, she tried to hide her blush.

As he passed her, Felix flipped her off. "It's none of her damned business who you show up with anyways."

"So, if I wanted to show up with a woman, you wouldn't object?" Lee chuckled as Felix kicked him in the shin. "Don't worry, I would never do that."

"Here we are!" Putting their menus down on the table where Caroline and Montrose were already sitting, the hostess drew back. "Your waitress will be over for drink and dinner orders momentarily. Please enjoy your meal."

"Thank you." Taking his seat, Lee sent a reproving glare at his mother. "Why must you taunt him at every turn?"

Glancing over from smiling at Montrose, Caroline frowned at Lee. "Lee, whatever do you mean?"

"My wife?" He gestured to the scowling Felix. He was of a similar mind. If this was going to continue, they would end the evening early.

"Why should I be the one to tell him? You are the one who married a man, are you too ashamed to let the colonies know?" Reaching in to her clutch, Caroline pulled out a compact to check her appearance in. The light reflecting off the ring on her left hand caught the attention of Felix and Lee.

"So that's the big announcement? You're getting married?" Rolling his eyes, Felix picked up the menu. "I don't see what the big deal is, you could have just told us without all this."

"I told my beautiful beau that, but he never listened." Putting the compact back in the clutch, Caroline took Montrose's hand in hers. "Daphne is a simple woman, darling, she has no class, no breeding."

"No vagina," Lee chimed in. Seeing how the Admiral's look was shifting between amusement and shock, he decided to take pity upon his commanding officer. "Admiral Montrose, I would like to introduce you to my husband, Felix Adama, formerly Felix Gaeta."

Mouth open, Montrose found himself grasping for a response. At a loss, he simply closed his mouth and held out a hand. "I suppose I should have seen this coming. The captain never once mentioned any of his wife's attributes and there were no records of you on file."

"Don't be. You are only one of a handful that even knows I exist." Shaking the admiral's hand, Felix smiled. "Welcome to the family, I guess."

"Today marks the last mission of the BattleStar Galactica. She will start off on a twelve day tour then return for her final ship's inspection. To send her off, President Adar has commissioned the Fleet's very own Obsidian Heralds to light the way!" On the television screen, twelve ships shot off through space, their emission trails glowing in the dark as they were ignited.

Turning off the screen, Felix faced Laura over the dinner table. "Two weeks and then it will all be over. It's hard to believe."

"Yes, well we do tend to take for granted things that have been around for a long time." Finishing her meal, she pushed the plate away and wiped her face on the napkin. Public demand for her time had become so great lately she had taken to eating lunch in the privacy of his apartment. "I've scheduled a meeting with Stens for next week. I need you to provide a distraction for either side of the Educational Alliance's revolt if necessary."

"Not a problem, and it won't even involve Pyrotechnics." It would be tricky, but he was sure they could be placated. "What of the Pycon Day celebrations? How long do you think an appropriate appearance should last?"

"More than two hours, less than a full day." She shrugged, it really depended upon how she was feeling day. Watching him, she judged it was time to lay her request upon him. "Felix, there is one thing I will need you to do for me. It involves the Galactica." Laura knew she had his complete and utter attention by how still he went. "You know that in two weeks I will be attending the decommissioning ceremony. Previously, we had agreed your presence as my assistant would not be necessary. I'm afraid that has changed."

Swallowing, Felix glanced up. "What do you need me to do?"

Standing at attention in front of Admiral Montrose, Lee saluted him. "You wished to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Captain, I did." Not looking up from his papers, Montrose signed his name to one. "What is your relationship with your father?"

"Sir?" Frowning, Lee looked down at the admiral in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The Galactica's decommissioning ceremony is in less than two weeks. The Admiralty wishes to make a big to do about the Commander's send off and having his son there would make a good impression." Taking a deep breath, he droned out Lee's scoff. "I have been told to make sure you arrive there, no questions asked."

"What are the extent of my orders, sir?" Facing ahead again, Lee kept his posture straight.

"Act like you are there by your own choice. Participate in the ceremony whichever way you are told to. Finally, you are to ride escort to the Secretary of Education's transport." Stamping the paper he had just signed, Montrose held it out to Lee. "Upon completing this mission, I am authorizing four weeks leave. Get well rested, Captain, I want you to be on your best behavior for your mother's wedding."

"Sir?" Again, Lee looked down as he accepted the orders.

Smiling, Montrose sat back in his chair. "Your mother and I have finally set a date. Six weeks from today."

"Congratulations, sir!"

The night was cold and wet for late spring. The smell of night blooming flowers flooded the grounds of the Riverwalk Park. Passing between the low hanging branches of a Chamalla tree, Felix let his hands drift out to flit between their leaves. He was waiting for someone, and he hadn't been there long. Hearing someone step on an old twig behind him, he slowly turned to face her. "What do you want, Six?"

Head cocked to the side in the pale moon light, she shrugged in her jacket. Off to the side, another of her appeared through the leaves of the tree. "Hello, Gaeta."

Turning to see the new her, his breath caught in his throat. He had known it, but to have proof was another thing. They were identical copies of each other. Over coming his shock, he felt a cool shiver run down his spine. Closing his eyes, Felix's breath barely came. "It's time?"

"Not yet, but soon." Coming up behind him, a third Six pushed the branches out of her way. Her expression was sad for him. "We need you to come with us now, Gaeta. Your mission here is done."

Stepping closer to him, the first Six smiled hopefully at him. "God has a new plan for you, Gaeta, a reward for your work."

Felix scanned the area around him looking for a way out but found only more figures standing in the shadows of the Chamalla tree. He could tell from the shape of their shadows they weren't more Sixes. He was surrounded and had no other choice. Despite this, there was one thing holding him back. "What about my husband?"

"Do not worry, Gaeta, God will watch over him if he is worthy of His love." Reaching out her hand, Six nodded encouragingly to Felix. "Take my hand, it will be all right. Everything will be better soon, you'll see."

Fear clutching his heart, Felix put out a shaky hand. As her fingers entwined with his, he closed his eyes. "Forgive me, Lee."

Opening his eyes, Felix rubbed at his face as he gasped. Heart pounding in his chest, he tried to figure out where he was. To this end, he forced himself to stop breathing so he could hear better. The soft sounds of snoring beside him told Felix he was in bed with his husband.

Tears of relief blurred his vision in the moonlit room. He reached out to Lee, letting his hand rest upon his husband's muscular back. Felix loved Lee, he would give everything up for him. He wanted to give his husband everything, wanted to make everything right in his world and take away his pain. As Lee turned in his sleep to face him Felix felt his heart ache.

In sleep, Lee was even more beautiful than when he was happy. Reaching up a hand to cup Lee's face, he rolled over to kiss him, but stopped with a gasp. Hand going down to clutch his stomach, he winced in pain. He entire lower abdomen felt like one raw nerve. Easing himself up, he looked down at his stomach. Bruises lined the flesh along his navel.

Laying back down, Felix curled in to Lee's arms. Pressing their bodies together, he lowed his head to Lee's chest. Whatever had happened, he knew one thing. He hadn't been dreaming.

The Cylons were here.

THE END...


	4. Silence

Title: Silence

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 10634

Prompt:

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe

Summary: At the fall of the world, Lee and Gaeta's secret relationship is put to the test.

Author's Note: Relies heavily upon first hand knowledge of the mini-series.

Placing his head against the cool metal of the toilet tank, Felix groaned in distress. If his stomach would stop threatening to spill forth all the lemonlime soda he had consumed that morning, he would be ever so grateful. Every time his body strained to heave, his temperature would spike and he felt like hitting the deck. It was pure hell.

Felix stood up slowly and turned to the sink in the tiny head. It was early morning Fleet Standard Time and he was on a military transport to the Galactica. His job was fairly simple, he was to find out what the hell was keeping the Galactica from being rigged with the necessary equipment to turn it in to a museum and fix it. He had told Roslin what he thought the source was, but she insisted he inspect it in person then report to her when she arrived later in the day.

There was no way in hell he was going to get the old man to agree to put computers on his ship. In another month Commander Adama would be out of service and the Galactica would be in his jurisdiction. Laura had promised him the command of her refit if he could ensure the computers were properly installed. Felix would have agreed to come even if only to visit a ship so much like his former home.

He was looking forward to and dreading the anticipation of the Galactica. How much would she be like the Olympus? Would he be too choked up with emotion to do his duty? Could he do his duty even though it went against standard operating procedure for an original BattleStar? Inside Felix knew he would whatever was necessary to ensure Laura's will be done.

He was Felix Adama, former tactical officer of the Colonial Fleet and Aide to Secretary of Education Laura Roslin. He had served on three BattleStars, including the Olympus, the Tyriens, and the flag ship, Atlantia. Second in his class, he had commanded over a hundred successful tactical training missions. He would have been the best damned tactical officer the Galactica had seen since she was last in full service. These people were beneath him.

Washing off his face in the basin, he used the hand towel to dry himself off. Then Felix had to clutch the wall and close his eyes to keep from throwing up again. The nausea was quicker to abate this time. Opening his eyes, he took a few calming breaths.

Felix could feel the shuddering of the vessel under his feet signaling that it was docking with the Galactica. Buttoning up the chest flap of his black uniform, he checked himself over. He was wearing the uniform of the Inspector General's office. It was similar in appearance to the standard fleet uniform, minus the rank insignia and the flap was over the left breast instead of the right. Finally, he smiled as he put on the black beret that was standard with the uniform.

Stepping out of the restroom, he looked about to see what was going on. The large group of military personnel returning to the Galactica from Athens Base were heading to the exit. Walking over to his seat, he shouldered his pack and took his place in line. There were at least a dozen people ahead of him waiting with their identification papers out. Reaching in to his pack, he pulled his out of the front zip.

When it came his turn to present, he held out his papers, barely looking at the deck hand who checked them over against the passenger manifest.

When the young woman saw his name then looked up to his uniform, she gasped. Handing them to him, she saluted. "Welcome aboard the BattleStar Galactica, sir."

"Where is Commander Adama?" Returning the salute, he waited for the woman to guide him off the ship.

"He's in his quarters, sir. Shall I notify him of your arrival?" She knew it was a stupid question the moment she asked. Wincing, Calley saluted again and backed off the transport. "Right this way, sir, I will lead you to Commander Adama personally!"

"Please do." As she stopped to hand over the manifest to another deck hand, he took back his information from her distracted hands. He ignored the silence that descended from his appearance as he walked across the deck towards the hangar hatch. It was a heady feeling, the fear his uniform inspired in others. Too bad his assignment was only temporary. After the Galactica was just another orbiting museum, he would be back to civilian life once more.

Stepping in to the corridor of the Galactica, he paused at the familiar sight. It was like being back aboard the Olympus again, everything was identical, right down to the colors. Everything was more vivid on the Galactica, though, her Commander taking obvious pride in the small things. Even the lights seemed brighter to him.

Following Calley through the maze, he knew he was close to the Commander's quarters by the increased number of marines. The quarters of all senior officers were on the command deck. The blue and gray corridors ended in large gun metal gray hatch with a circular bulkhead lock. He waited for Calley to knock on the door before standing at attention in front of the hatch.

After she rapped on the door three times, Calley glanced back at Felix. Seeing him at attention made her match his stance. Stepping back when the door swung open, she saluted the Colonel as he stepped out. "Colonel Tigh, Crewman Specialist Calley reporting. I have a Major Felix Gaeta here from the Inspector General's office, sir!"

"Who?" Bleerily peering at the man over Calley's shoulder, Tigh frowned. "What do you want, boy?"

"I suggest you hold your tongue, Colonel. You only hold a command position aboard this ship for another fifteen hours." Stepping around Calley, Felix ignored the sputtering Tigh to stand at the entrance to Adama's quarters. "Major Felix Gaeta reporting for duty, sir. Permission to enter your cabin, sir?"

Staring at the young man, Bill Adama frowned. The young man was familiar, but he couldn't place where. "Permission granted." Turning to Tigh and Calley, he nodded. "Please leave us."

"Aye, sir." Saluting, Tigh smirked and led Calley away like a curious puppy on a leash.

Entering the older man's quarters, Felix did a quick once over. The books and boxes of possessions did nothing to surprise him. Even in packing, the Commander was anally orderly.

Having taken in the young man's appearance, Adama let out a breath through his nostrils. "You've come at a bad time."

"I came as I was ordered, Commander. It is my duty to ensure the transfer from military to civilian authority goes smoothly." Standing at parade rest, Felix held his arms folded behind his back. He watched the old man take a seat behind his table with fascination. So this was the great William Adama, he was less intimidating three years later.

"Tell me, Major, have we met before? I feel I should know you, but there have been so many bureaucrats, you tend to all blur together." Smiling at his own joke, Bill gestured for Felix to come closer.

"I was the last comm officer of the Olympus, I am a soldier first and foremost, sir. Bureaucracy was forced upon me." He saw realization dawn upon the Commander's features and felt a pang in his chest. Felix covered up the emotion with anger. This man had buried his career, he should be the one feeling guilty. "I am here to inform you that as of Midnight Fleet Standard Time, your command of the BattleStar Galactica will be officially terminated. Civilian Authority will be instated in two days time. During the interim, I will serve in command function."

Nodding, Bill closed his eyes. It had been a hard decision, but one he had needed to make. "Is there anything else, Major?"

"Yes, the Presidential Secretary of Education would like to know why you have denied the installation of teaching computers aboard the Galactica?" Felix felt a moment of levity as the Commander's eyebrows shot up. "I have explained to her, but she would feel better if she got the word from you herself."

"Very well. Dismissed." Going back to his packing, Adama physically dismissed Felix from his existence.

Snapping a salute, Felix walked out of the Commander's quarters and back in to the corridor. He could get through this, he knew he could.

Lee spent the time between Caprica and the Galactica drawing images on the hatch of his Viper with his breath. He wouldn't be able to see them until he blew on the glass, but he knew they were there. In the bottom right hand corner was a stick figure Felix with curly hair and huge balls. Next to that one was a large stick figure cat about to eat him.

He wasn't mad at Felix, really.

Just, that his husband was foolish enough to run this errand for his boss was driving him batty. There really was no good way to tell Felix not to go to the Galactica as Roslin's enforcer. So, he'd bitten hid pride and told Felix he would back him up when he had to arrive for the ceremony. He only hoped his husband didn't kill his father.

For the first time, he wondered who hated his father more. Felix had several reasons, none as good as a dead brother, but still, Felix was cold in his hate where he was burning hot. Lee knew he could burn off his hate if he wanted to, he could eventually over come it. Felix, however, nursed a grudge, his mother was proof of that.

Lee made a mental note to tell his mother he was sorry about her wardrobe for the thousandth time when he returned later that night.

When the perimeter alarm went off on his dradis, he sighed. "About time." Five minutes and he would see if Felix was in the brig yet.

Entering the brig, Felix smiled at what he saw. "Oh, I agree, bars are definitely your style." Chuckling, he came up along side the cells to smile at Kara.

Raising her torso from where she was doing sit-ups, Kara wrapped her arms around her knees. Upon seeing who was bothering her, a smirk twitched her lips. "So Daphne finally decided to swallow her pride and come to Galactica."

"Not really." Fingering the bars, Felix checked them for dust. He frowned when his hand came away grimy. "Disgraceful, no one's prison should be so dirty. Then again, considering the contents."

"Well, you are just a laugh riot. What brings you to Galactica if not to bury the hatchet?" For the first time she paid attention to his uniform. "Inspector General? You have got to be frakking kidding me?"

"Only until the Galactica is in the hands of the Civilian Authority. Then I am back to being just plain old Felix Gaeta, civilian aide at large." Fingering the collar of his uniform, his grin grew. He was enjoying the teasing. It had been a long time since he had last been around someone besides Lee his own age.

"I didn't think you would do something like sign up with the Civilian Authority." Leaning against the cell bars like it was a door jam, she effected a lax posture. It wasn't the first time she had been behind the bars of the Galactica's brig. "So, where's the good boy?"

"He should be here soon. I just thought I would pop in for a visit before hand since we can't exactly appear to know each other." He didn't know whether he felt sad about that or if he was glad for it. On the one hand, he loved Lee, on the other, he didn't Lee's dad. "How has life been treating you here in the black of space?"

"Can't complain much. Still haven't got my new posting yet. You think Lee would mind if I stayed on for a while until I get things sorted out?" Her question sounded casual, but she was desperately hoping for a positive answer.

"Not a problem, you're family to him. The real question is where will the Commander sleep? Caroline's been inhabiting the old bedroom, but that will change in four weeks." Holding the bars, he paused long enough for her to slap the wall to get his attention. "Hmmm?"

"What is going on? Why four weeks specifically?" Eyeing him dangerously, she dared him to hold out on her.

"Caroline and Montrose. Apparently it was more serious than I thought." He danced back to avoid her hitting him through the bars on her cell. "Fine, fine. Montrose proposed to Caroline a few months ago. They just decided two weeks ago when the wedding would be."

Jaw hanging open in shock, Kara cackled with laughter. "How could you forget to tell me this? How is she taking it? Are they happy? You have to tell me everything!"

Checking the clock above the door, Felix shook his head. "Sorry, Lieutenant, but I'm afraid I don't have time to do that." Turning for the door, he saluted her and got a one fingered one in return.

After that, Kara was left alone in her cell. Deciding to finish her work out, starting with the press-ups, she got down to her hands and knees. Before she could finish getting in to position, a pair of boots at the door to her cell, accompanied by a grunt forced her to look up. "Lee!"

"As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, I have to warn you I am a married man." He didn't have a chance to jump back before she grabbed him through the cell bars.

Standing at attention, Felix was there to greet the arrival of Roslin along side the deck hands and the ass kissing PR man, Aaron Doral. The instant the man came around him, his gut twisted and he felt an overwhelming urge to slit his throat. Felix believed it was a nervous reaction to that kind of person, but his suspicions were much more different. Even then, he caught the man eyeing him as if they were sharing a joke. Sending him a cold look, Felix faced the ramp as it opened.

As the ramp hit the deck, Felix stood at attention, hand up in a salute. He hoped to present an honorable front for her, despite the lack of military presence. The fact no one of any rank was there with him was an insult to her position. Then again, the fact no one higher in the chain of command was there with her also insulted the Commander.

Standing at the hatch line with her temporary aide at her side, Roslin looked out over the hangar deck of the Galactica for the first time. Prim smile in place, she observed the mass of mechanics and maintenance crew going about their work. "Well, this is the Galactica." She started down the steps even as Aaron started to them to meet her.

At the bottom, she ignored Aaron in favor of walking to Felix. Hand out, she smiled for him. "Major, good to see you again."

"Like wise, Madam Secretary. I trust your trip was pleasant?" He could see stress lines around her eyes, mouth and forehead. It told him something painful had happened since they had spoken early that morning.

"It went as far as these things go." She let him think on that as she signaled for Billy to come stand beside her. "Mr. Gaeta, this is my temporary aide, Billy Keikeya." Trying not to laugh at the young man's over eager enthusiasm, she closed her eyes. "Billy, this is Major Felix Gaeta of the Inspector General's office. He is temporarily assigned to over see the handling of the Galactica."

Felix nodded at the boy once then turned back to Laura. "He will not budge on the computers, but I assume he is willing to compromise in so far as manual guides."

"Manuals? Leave him to me, you make sure everything else goes according to plans." She was about to turn and go with Aaron, when she stopped. Grabbing Felix by the hand, she squeezed it. "Remember, this is only for a few days. Mitigating circumstances or not, murder is still murder."

"If I can handle Caroline calling me Daphne, William's cold shoulder won't be a problem." Stepping back as she released his hand, he snapped another salute, then watched her walk on. He was glad Billy was only temporary, he looked the type to be idealistic and stupidly heroic.

Aaron gave him a second glance before hurriedly ushering Roslin off.

Sitting in the audience wedged between two reporters, Felix fought the urge to laugh hysterically as they listened to the officials give their speeches. So far, he had wandered the ship in a nostalgic daze for two hours, met with the one person he knew assigned to the Galactica, made hate eyes at Tigh three times, rebuffed the advances of four women and two men, and finally greeted a grand total of fifteen important and self important dignitaries. All in all, he thought it was a typical day. If he waited another hour, he was sure he could fit in a temper tantrum from someone he refused to allow access to Roslin to make it just another day at the office.

So caught up in his thoughts, he wasn't even aware he was falling asleep until roaring of the crowd caused him to jerk awake. Drowsy, he rose to his feet along with the rest of the crowd to clap. Still not quite there, his half hearted claps were the last to be extinguished. He fell back in to his chair rather than sitting, yawning. Felix tried to shake it off, but the fatigue seemed to linger.

Rubbing at his stomach, he grimaced. Now was not a good time for him to be getting sick. He had too many responsibilities. Forcing his eyes to remain open, he tried not to get too comfortable in his chair. The chair being hard seemed to be having no effect on his staying sleeping.

For the next half hour, it was a fight to keep his eyes open. When the last speech had been given and the officials adjourned for a meal, he drifted behind the crowd. Lagging further back, his stomach growled at him at the thought of food and he put a hand to his face. Grabbing the arm of a passing lieutenant, he smiled at her. "Please inform the Commander and Secretary Roslin that I am unable to continue today. If they need me, I shall be in my quarters resting."

Nodding, Lieutenant Walsh watched him go. She hadn't seen a man that pale since they found a dead cat stuck in the engine of a Raptor where it had crawled up in to keep warm. When they had started the engine to see what needed to be repaired, it had electrocuted the fur ball and blew the entire power grid. After watching him stumble away, she turned to look for either Roslin or the Commander.

Roslin was busy trying not to snap at Billy's constant pestering when Walsh provided a welcome relief. "Yes, Lieutenant, how may I help you?"

"Major Gaeta has taken to his bunk and asked me to inform you and the Commander. He looked pale, I think he might be coming down with..." Walsh didn't get a chance to finish before Roslin was off.

Billy stepped up beside Walsh smiling. "Hi. Sorry about that, she and the major are friends, I think." When Walsh smiled at him gratefully, he felt his skin heat up. "Also, you needn't worry about informing the Commander, looks like Roslin is taking care of that." He pointed to where Roslin was speaking with Bill.

Taking the Commander aside, Roslin waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. "Commander Adama, I was wondering if you knew which bunk Major Gaeta was taking for his stay. I've just been informed he's become ill and wish to ascertain what is wrong."

Welcoming the chance to get away from the 'important' people, Bill nodded. "If you will follow me, I will show you the way." He didn't bother to wait for her inevitable protest. It wasn't a problem for him, it was a solution.

Felix barely made it back to his bunk before he collapsed. His right leg was dangling off the edge as he let sleep overcome him. It wasn't very long after he was asleep that the hatch opened to his bunk. Alerted by the sound, his head shot off the pillow and he peered at the hatch bleerily. "Yes?"

Entering the berth, Roslin took a seat at the head of his bead, letting him rest his head in her lap. She stroked the hair out of his face as he yawned. "You look so pale, what is the matter?"

"Nothing that will not pass. It is not the first time." He let it hang between them, she knowing as well as he about the day before. "I will be well in a few days, it is nothing more than a stomach virus." Felix tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea forced him to stay on his side. "Okay, so I won't be getting up just now."

Patting his hand, she nodded. "Stay here and rest, I am sure they can carry on without you for tonight. When you awake tomorrow, if you still feel bad, visit the infirmary." Standing up, she helped him to get completely on the bunk and covered him up. Checking his temperature, she found it funny that she was treating her aide like a son. "Well, you're not running a temperature. I suppose it could just be something you ate."

Too tired to do much more than nod, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him again.

Laura kept an eye on him for a while longer then stepped through the hatch and closed the door. She was spooked for a minute when Adama came up behind her. "How long have you been waiting here?"

"Since you went in." Turning the handle to throw the bolt, he gave it an extra tug to make sure it slid home. "How long has he been your aide?"

"Almost a year now." Taking the lead, she headed back the way they had come. If she got back now, she might get some of the ambrosia, because she really needed a drink. What kind of universe decided that when a person's life started to unravel it went all at once?

Adama cast a final glance back at the hatch, but came along afterwards.

When the alarm first sounded, Felix thought he was having a night mare about the Olympus. It took several seconds for him to realize he was aboard the Galactica and the Condition One notification had indeed been real. Adjusting his uniform, Felix rose from his bunk and staggered to the door. By the time he had the hatch open, he was feeling clear headed and ready to do his duty.

The corridors were a mad house as people ran to their action stations. Making his way through their numbers, he fought to control his rising panic. The last battle he had been in was two years ago. This time was different, he had to find out he situation before he decided on a course of action. Coming upon the command deck, he met a marine troop as they lined the corridor. He returned the salute of their Lieutenant, but kept on moving. At the door of the CIC he was nearly broadsided by a fuming Tigh.

"Watch where you're going, you damned fool!" Drink in hand and on his shirt, Tigh wiped it off his clothes and entered in to the CIC.

Felix followed close behind, sticking to the far side away from the command console. Seeing the Commander hand Tigh a slip of paper, Felix took his chance and came up beside them. "Commander Adama, sir, what's the situation?"

Frowning, Adama turned to face the unfamiliar voice. Upon finding Felix, he scowled. "What are you doing in my CIC?"

"Trying to find out what is happening, sir. If this is a tactical situation, I can be of assistance." At a scoff, he glanced over expecting to find Colonel Tigh. Instead, he found the one person he had completely forgotten about. "Do you have something to add, Lieutenant Hanlon?"

"You weren't good enough for a posting upon graduation, what makes you think you are now?" The tactical officer tried to appear superior, but reddened with rage when Felix completely ignored him. "Get the hell out of here!"

Glaring at his tactical officer over his glasses, Adama picked up the handset. "Mr. Gaeta, you will assist the tactical officer in locating all military targets in the system. I want to know the location of all fleet and cylons immediately."

The world around Felix seemed to faded and seemed to slow down. Hand clutching at his stomach, he staggered back in to the comm officer's console. They had come. The cylons were here. "How bad is the damage?"

"Four colonies have confirmed the use of nukes. Now, either get to work or get out of the CIC." Shoving Felix aside, Hanlon tried to get passed the other man. Instead, he tripped over his own feet and slammed face first in to the central command console. He staggered back a bit before landing on his ass. Confused, he started to frown then fell back unconscious.

Standing over the unconscious man in the now silent CIC, Felix his head. Walking around the command console, he moved to the tactical station. There was a multitude of unread SITREPs scattered across the console. Picking up the headset, he slipped it on over his ear and began activating the dradis scans. His panic attack would have to wait.

Shaking his head, Adama gestured for the marines to take Hanlon out of the CIC. "XO, if we are going to have a shooting war, we are going to need something to shoot."

Felix found himself falling in to his old self faster than he cared to admit. Everything came back to him in vivid detail, the idealistic young officer he had been. The reports of attacks kept coming, malfunctions and power failures on more than one. Even though he knew none among the crew, he worked his way in to their dynamic.

"Mr. Gaeta, how are my numbers?" The attention of all those not currently busy joined with Adama on Felix.

Looking up from his jump calculations, he nodded. "Just another minute, sir." Quickly double checking his math, he found no mistakes and entered the coordinates in to the FTL drive. Checking them over the dradis, he began to plot out the jump points.

"Sir, we got word from the fleet!" Standing up from her console, Duala paled slightly. "The BattleStar Atlantia has been destroyed, with her all hands, including Admiral Negala. The stand at Virgon has failed."

"Then who's in charge of the frakking fleet?" Standing at the command console with the munitions depot listing in front of him, Tigh wished to the gods he wasn't sobering up.

Silence reined in the CIC.

Frowning, Adama pulled off his glasses. After rubbing his forehead, he put them back on. "Send a priority one message over the wireless. I am taking charge of the fleet. Order all fleet ships to meet us Ragnar Anchorage."

"Aye, sir." Duala typed out the message, encoding it through the wireless. When she received confirmation from the console the message was sent, she prepared for the responses.

"How long until we jump?" Feeling his anger mounting, Adama turned it on Felix. He knew it was misdirected, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "You said a minute, now where are those coordinates?"

"The jump drives are taking time to charge, sir. It's been at least twenty years since they were last used." When the power meter on the FTL drive stopped moving at forty percent, Felix hit the gage. It got it unstuck, but the needle went down instead back up. Reaching under the console, he tore open the maintenance panel. Pulling out the wires, he tore three of them apart, stripped the tape from them then rewired them together.

An immediate hum from the engines was the response.

Putting the caps back on the wires, he stuffed them in to the panel and sealed it. "Jump engines powered at fourty-five percent and rising!"

"Sir, I have Captain Apollo on the wireless. He's on Colonial One and is relaying a message from the president." Relief filled her as the Commander's posture relaxed a little. "Sir, President Laura Roslin is ordering our assistance in rescue operations."

"President Roslin?" The word carried an entire load of emotions too volatile for him to think about. Apparently he had found his new target for his anger. "Put him on, I want to talk to him myself."

"Captain Apollo please hold for Galactica Actual." Walking over to the command console, Duala plugged her head piece in to the jack. Tuning in to Apollo, she made sure the signal was still there. "Here, sir." She handed off the ear piece to Adama.

"Apollo! Listen, I am ordering you to take that ship and get to Ragnar immediately." The response wasn't what Bill was hoping for, but what he had come to expect from that pig headed son of his. "What's that supposed to mean? I gave you a direct order!" Lowering his headset, Adama glared at the console as if it would die for his anger.

The dradis beeped distracting Felix from his Adama watch. Shaking his head, he confirmed the results. "Sir, I got Colonial one on Dradis." He switched the view on the dradis screens above the command console to show the blips of Colonial One and the ships she was rescuing. Two small blips appeared on the edge of the dradis scan. "Confirmed, there are two Cylon raiders inbound for her!"

Eyes widening, Adama picked up the headset again. "Apollo, you've got incoming, leave the civilians now! I am ordering you to go, jump!"

Panic began to spread among the command crew as they watched the cylon raiders close in on Colonial One. They sat on the edge of their seats, holding on to their consoles.

"Go, damn you, go," Felix muttered under his breath. Eyes on his console, he tried to will Lee to, for once, obey his father.

"Apollo! Respond, Apollo!" The raiders were almost within firing range, so close the Dradis had trouble distinguishing them. Clutching the headset, Adama watched in growing horror. "Apollo! Lee! Get out of there! Lee!"

The dradis image wavered as a dark spot spread out from the center of the screen and enveloped the entirety of dradis sweep.

"No." Whispered, it was the loudest sound in the CIC. Breath gone, Felix barely had the strength to catch himself on the console. His chest ached as the air suddenly returned to his. He made a high pitched wheeze as he tried to draw in breath.

It was over. He was truly alone. His life had ended in the span of a moment and no one noticed. Something on the screen blinked, grabbing at his attention. On instinct, Felix hit the command sequence. An alarm sounded in CIC breaking everyone back from their own grief.

Straightening up, Adama literally forced himself to keep his emotions inside. "Restart jump count down."

Beside Felix, the lit FTL key rose out of the console. Taking it, he stood up and stumbled to the FTL controls. Still holding himself together with only his dazed need to finish his task, he inserted the key in to the control. "FTL jump in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two." He turned the key.

For the first time in his life, Felix didn't feel the queasy effects of the FTL jump.

As the jump engines went in to automatic cool down mode, Felix fell back in to the nearest chair. Too stunned to do much more than stare in shock at the dradis screen in the central console, he tried to feel something. Numbness spread through his body and he started to feel disconnected from it. From a medical stand point, he knew what was happening, but didn't want it to stop.

He didn't want to feel the pain when it came.

Rising from the chair, he leaned against the console. He couldn't do them any good now, he was moments away from collapsing. Felix put a hand to his baret, tugging it off his head as he stumbled for the exit hatch. He was almost there when a throat cleared behind him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Unable to deal with the old man's grief, Tigh turned to an emotion more familiar, anger. His target was someone he viewed was abandoning his duty.

Turning to face the colonel, Felix kept his expression blank. "I am going to rest."

"You want to sleep, is that so? We got ourselves a full on war and you just want to lay back and get a few winks?" Snarling now, Tigh got up close to Felix. "No, I don't think so, pretty boy. You get your candy ass back up at that dradis console and sit down!"

"You have no idea what I just lost." Felix gasped as Tigh grabbed him by the front of his uniform, jerking him close.

"Oh, because you lost your precious secretary you think you got the right to abandon your duty?" Pointing with his left hand, Tigh gestured emphatically at the still stiff backed Bill. "The old man just lost a son, but you don't see him giving up his command! You will not be allowed to take the coward's way out!"

"He was my husband, you frakking dick!" Shocked silence met his words. Pushing Tigh off him, Felix shook his uniform back in to place. "He was my husband. Lee was my..." Closing his eyes, he turned around and marched back to the dradis console. Pulling back on his baret, Felix sat staring blankly at the screen.

He became aware of the people staring at him, the most disturbing of those gazes belonging to the Commander. Instead of acknowledging them, Felix kept up active scans of the ion storm that housed Ragnar Anchorage. "I am detecting no ships in the immediate vicinity, Commander."

Nodding, Adama turned to Tyrol. "Prepare the boarding parties, Chief, I want the ammunition loaded as soon as possible." Sensing he was being watched carefully, he turned on the rest of the CIC. "What are you waiting for, you all have jobs to do! This war has only just begun!"

Activity soon filled the CIC.

"Tactical, plot a course through the ion storm, take us in." He didn't bother to look at Felix, knowing the young man wouldn't be watching him. Bill was confused and hurt by the revelation. If it was true, then he truly had been cut from his son's life completely.

Standing behind the helm positions, Felix began to do the mental calculations for the journey through the radiation.

They were alone in the CIC together. Actually, there were roughly twenty other people manning their posts, but as far as ranking officers, Felix and Tigh were alone. The Commander had left them an hour before to personally over see the transfer of the ordinance. Ever since, they had continued on in silence.

Tigh glanced over at Felix every so often. Each time, he was left with the same question, was he lying? There didn't seem to be a reason for it, yet Tigh couldn't quite believe him. It just didn't make sense, the old man would have known about it. His thoughts were disrupted by the chirp of the handset. Turning to Duala, he raised an eyebrow in question.

"Sir, that was Chief Tyrol. There's been an explosion in the station." She cringed at his glare. "Commander Adama has been trapped behind a hatch that welded shut from the heat of the explosion. He ordered the Chief to continue his unloading while he finds another route."

"Frakking great, just wonderful. What else can go wrong in this gods forsaken hell hole?" Tigh didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Multiple dradis contacts!" Rising from his console, Felix walked to the command console. "I'm getting colonial idents, sir. They are civilian vessels."

"Double check that!" Not one for surprises, Tigh decided he would rather work with Felix than against him at the moment.

"Confirmed." Felix barely raised enough emotion to make his voice heard.

"Sir, I've got the lead ship on the wireless. It's Colonial One..." Whatever else Duala had to say, she was drowned out by the cheers and clapping that echoed in the CIC.

Looking over at Tigh, Felix felt his chest swell with emotion. "Permission to meet the president's party, sir?"

Considering him for a moment, Tigh thought of saying no. Then he changed his mind. "Go ahead, but if you've lied to me, I'll toss you the air lock personally."

"Yes, sir!" Saluting, Felix nearly ran from the CIC.

Striding across the deck to reach the Colonial One docking berth, Felix glanced about wildly for Lee. There were civilians already flooding in from the ship and it was growing more chaotic. Several times he thought he caught sight of Lee's flight suit only to find other pilots Colonial One had picked up. He was about to become frantic, near to shouting when he caught sight of his husband in the crowd.

Lee was searching the deck.

Thinking to get his attention, Felix raised his hand to shake. His hand paused halfway up as Lee seemed to find what he was looking for. It wasn't him. Felix couldn't make out who it was, but she wrapped her arms around his husband and they... His knees hit the deck.

Body shaking, he gasped for breath. Spots filled his vision as a pain shot through his abdomen. Groaning through the cramp, he started to breathe slowly. Before he knew it the ceiling was swirling in to his vision and he couldn't tell up from down. Felix thought he heard someone calling his name, but everything was too blurry to make out. Suddenly, he lost his grip on consciousness and slipped away.

Billy and Laura caught Felix before he could completely hit the deck.

Laura patted his face, worried at how pale he had gone. "Medic! We need a medic or a doctor here! Help!" She had to yell at the top of her lungs to get people to listen.

Rushing through the crowd after hearing the president's voice, Lee wondered who had been injured until he saw who was in her arms. Shrugging off Starbuck, he immediately went to Roslin's side, taking Felix from her and Billy. "Felix, come on, Felix, look at me. Look at me, baby." Patting Felix's face, he jostled him in to a sitting position. "Look at me, damn you!"

Standing up with Felix in his arms, Lee shoved everyone away from him. "Clear the deck!" As the crowd parted, Lee shot through their numbers.

Hot on his heels, Laura and Starbuck followed close.

Standing in Cottle's office, Lee kept glancing nervously back in to the infirmary proper. After he had brought Felix in, Cottle had tossed him out on his ass. The doc was up to his knees in casualties and a frantic husband was last thing he needed. Since then he had been holed up in the doctor's office with Laura, Starbuck, and surprisingly, Colonel Tigh. Running a hand through his hair, Lee leaned against the door jam.

"So it's true." Tigh didn't know whether to feel relief, disgust, or anger. The boy had been keeping things from his father, this being the top of the list. "Were you ever going to tell the old man?"

"It wasn't any of his business." He didn't want to have this conversation with anyone, especially not with his father's best friend. When a hand touched his shoulder, Lee was about to snap until he saw it was the president. "What?" His tone was tired and without malice.

"Your concern is understandable, but does him no good at this point. There are other things we need to tending right now." It was more of a way to get him to refocus his energies than any real need of his assistance. Laura understood the need to keep busy in spite of your problems. Turning to Tigh, she focused her full bearing as the president, not a bit she felt to be true. "Colonel Tigh, we have with us dozens of ships carrying hundreds of injured people. Many of the ships were damaged in the attack, they will..."

"Fix their own damned problem!" Disgusted that this civilian had the audacity to claim to be president, then make demands of him sent Tigh in to instant rage. She was a suitable candidate for the brig if this kept up. "This is a BattleStar, not a Tug. In case you haven't noticed, there is a war going on. We are here only long enough to get ammunition then get back in the fight."

"The war is over, Colonel, we lost! It is time we save what we can, that means those civilians you don't want to care for." She wasn't about to back down to the blow hard.

Putting a hand on her shoulder to keep from getting too close, Lee sighed. "At least give us two of the disaster pods and a few of your crew to help disperse the supplies. Surely, you can allow that."

"One, and you distribute them yourselves. We haven't the personnel to spare." Dismissing the president from mind along with his guilt over why they were down so many crewmen, Tigh turned to the young Adama. "You, however, are staying put. We need all our pilots onboard. The old man sure is going to be glad to see you."

"Hate to break up these touching sentiments, but Daphne's awake." Having been watching Felix through the door, Kara spotted him first. She wisely kept back as Laura and Lee pushed through to get to him.

"Daphne?" Smiling, Tigh glanced through door to watch the goings on.

"Yeah, Daphne." Good humor ruined, Kara stood aside to let Felix in to the office.

Despite breathing heavily and unnaturally pale, Felix made it on his own. Leaning back against the desk, he rebuked Lee's attempts to touch him. "I am due back in CIC."

"Lieutenant Hanlon is back on duty." Tigh watched in amusement as Felix yet again slapped Lee's hand away.

"Lieutenant Hanlon is not fit to wear the uniform! He couldn't plot a jump out of bathroom stall!" Forcing himself to stand tall, Felix swallowed the rising bile. "You don't have a competent tactical officer. Until you can find a suitable replacement, I am the best you've got."

"And you are two steps from passing out!" With bemusement, he watched as Felix took two straight steps towards him then displayed his body as stable. He hated to admit it, but the younger man was right. "Very well, Captain, get the Major to CIC then report to the pilot's wardroom."

"Don't touch me!" Felix glared at Lee until he took a step back. Sending venomous looks to both him and Kara, he headed for the door. When Kara moved to block his way, his hand shot out, hitting her square in the chest. Had he the strength, she would have been on the floor gasping for breath.

As it was, she grunted and hit him in return. "I don't know what the frak your problem is, Daphne, but I suggest you get over it, fast!"

Gathering his strength, he coiled his body and punched her across the face. The hit was hard enough to knock her backwards. "You ever kiss my husband again, and they won't find your body." Shoving passed the stiffening Kara, he stormed out of Cottle's office through the back entrance and in to the corridor.

In the stunned silence that followed, Tigh was practically gleeful. He wanted to tell Kara 'what goes around, comes around', but that would be taunting. Instead, he jerked his head from Lee to Kara, making sure he knew what he meant. "President Roslin, take your disaster pod and get off this ship."

Sighing in defeat, Laura nodded. There was no reason to stay at this point, she did have a necessary job to do.

Lee walked over to Kara, hand out to touch her shoulder, but she shrugged out of his way. "I'm sorry."

Posture rigid, Kara shook her head, then winced. "Don't worry about it, he's right to be angry." Snorting, she rolled her eyes. "Better remember this day, it's the only time I let someone hit me and get away with it. Also, admitting someone else was right. Wow, that's two major admissions. I suppose to even it out I have to track him down and kick his ass."

"I dunno, you made bigger mistakes. That hair cut for one." At her glare, Lee chuckled. It was uneasy and almost forced, but he needed to know they would be okay.

"Get back to work, you two." Shoving passed them, Tigh followed Felix's route to the CIC.

Shivering nervously, Gaius Baltar was led to the ship's morgue. Since he had been rescued, he felt a certain amount of paranoia. No small part of that was in thanks to the hallucinations of his beautiful Natasi. He really should have stopped off at the ship's infirmary, but hind sight was for fools. Taking a deep breath, he mentally braced himself for the sight he was about to take. What he saw made his stomach roll, a man with his brain bashed in.

Jaw tight, Adama glared at the body of Leoben Conoy. "This is a cylon, doctor. I want to know how we can detect them, what their weaknesses are, how many there are, and who else is one." Switching his gaze from the body to Baltar, Adama gave him a measure look. "How soon can you come up with something?"

"I...I'm not sure." Wide eyed with terror, Gaius took a step back from the looks the Commander and Colonel were giving him. Swallowing, he knew he had to play down his knowledge of cylons, else they might suspect his true involvement. Warm fingers slid up his neck to palm the back of his skull making him freeze.

Pouting next to him, Six cocked her head as she stared down upon Leoben. "He will rise again soon. You really don't have a choice, tell them what they want to hear. Everything and one you need is right here."

"I design machines, programs to run them. This... this is beyond my scope of abilities. I can possible design a machine that can tell the differences in the chemical make up, eventually, but not right away. That is, I don't believe I am... I don't have the right equipment with me!" Flustered, he put a hand to his head, trying to dislodge her imaginary fingers from his skull.

"Use whatever machines you need, I will have my tactical officer assist you." At Tigh's throat clear, Adama sighed. He really needed things to stop happening so fast and close together. "My tactical officer is indisposed, you can work with his replacement, Major Felix Gaeta."

Gaius' head shot up. Casting a quick glance do Six, he quickly faced Adama again. "Major Felix Gaeta, Commander?"

"Actually, his name is Felix Adama." Turning to the Commander, Tigh let his exasperation with the entire situation show. "You should have a longer chat with that son of yours. Apparently he really married Daphne." He started to snicker. "Starbuck dubbed him that, seems rather apt considering how they currently are acting towards each other."

"Dr. Daphne Adama. Felix Adama, gee, Gaius, does this name seem familiar to you?" Resting her head upon his shoulder, Six purred against his neck.

"Yes, he does." Confidence restored, Gaius stood up straighter and lost his nervous shakes. "Gentlemen, with the assistance of Dr. Adama, I am confident we can get your cylon detector running and soon."

"Dr. Adama?" This was getting old fast. Just what the hell was this man's name? Feeling another headache coming on, Adama stared Gaius down.

"Yes, Dr. Adama. He worked at the Academy of Science on Sagitteron before it was... Well, he is more than qualified, I assure you. I'll find him and get started right away!" The clapping of Six behind him made his back stiffen in anger. If she and her kind hadn't gotten him in to this mess, he wouldn't have to bluff his way out of it.

"Right now he's in the CIC. Officer Dereks, please escort Dr. Baltar to Major Adama." Adama watched as Gaius practically chased his guide out of the morgue. Things were becoming too strange for his liking. "Chief says it should be another two hours and then we can get under way. I want the crew to run battle drills and damage control teams to be more prepared this time before we leave."

"Aye, that." Giving the body one final look of disgust, Tigh went off to comply with Adama's orders.

Adama continued to watch the body, the urge to do it more damage was almost overwhelming to him. Closing the drawer it was laid in, he sealed the lock and left the morgue.

There were few people in CIC not engrossed in their consoles when Felix looked up to see Gaius enter. He was glad of it as his expression turned from one of busy contemplation to cold killer almost instantly. It was the face he had last worn when facing Cain down, before that, he had been burning alive a dozen scientists. Rising from the dradis controls, he rounded the side of the consoles to intercept the man.

Upon seeing the expression of someone he had thought would be welcoming, Gaius came to a full stop. He started to back up, but the officer behind him made that impossible. Feeling the best option was to go on the offensive, he plastered a smile upon his face. "Felix!"

Taking a neutral stance two feet away, Felix stared Gaius down. "What are you doing here?"

"We have a mission, you and I. Very important, very hush hush." Pushing the officer behind him away, Gaius reached out and grabbed Felix's arm. "We need to talk in private, the Commander wants us to work on something."

Keeping his voice low so no one could hear, Felix nearly growled in anger. "If this is about your faulty program, don't worry about it. I've already removed all traces." Extracting Gaius' fingers from his arm, he started to turn away when the smaller man blocked his path again. "Don't make me hurt you, Gaius."

"Funny, a blonde we are both familiar with said the same thing to me recently. You know another thing you and she have in common, you both knew about the changes to the programming before I did. This wasn't about that, but since you brought it up, how did you know?" Leaning in close, Gaius felt his heart start to beat wildly as he realized something. "Are you a cylon?"

Hand coming up to the side of Gaius' head, Felix seemed about to stroke his cheek. Suddenly, his fingers twisted in to the Doctor's hair and he jerked him closer. "If I was, Gaius, you would be dead right now."

"What do you know of their agenda?" He was thrown back against the command console.

"This is their agenda, Doctor!" Gesturing at the half empty CIC, Felix snorted. When Gaius frowned in confusion, Felix snorted and went back to his console. "Whatever it is you came for, forget about it. I have work to do."

For a minute, Gaius reconsidered his theory. If Felix was a cylon, he would be working against them, not for them. His guidance program, if it was still there, would only serve that purpose. Walking to a nearby console, he began to access the guidance softwear. Summoning it up, he frowned, not recognizing anything of his designs. Relief and fear filled him at the same time. If Felix had erased it, yet he hadn't revealed the human/cylon connection to Adama, then what was he working at?

Sweet perfume drifted across his nose, blocking out the stench of sweat and metal. Appearing on the edge of Gaius' vision, Six sat on the command console. "He's not a cylon, if that's what you are thinking."

"No, I was wondering just what he was doing about them, though." Keeping his voice down, Gaius tried to let any of the officers know he was having hallucinations.

"God has his own plans for him, Gaius." Seeing that was only serving to drive the man batty, Six huffed. "What are you?"

"I'm a human." Baltar was close to snapping, she was only another symptom.

"More specifically, you're also a traitor." Lowering her eyebrows in a no bullshit expression as he turned to stare at her, she shook her head. "Don't even bother denying it. If you are a traitor for indirectly letting me have access to your work, then so is he. How long has he known about the impending attack? Did he try to warn anyone? What actions has he taken to stop us? Why did he keep quiet?"

"It doesn't matter, I can't prove any of it without implicating myself." His nervous shiver coming back up his spine, Gaius smiled broadly at the few officers that looked at him. "I'm a dead man."

"Adama gave you a mission, carry it out." Shooting him a kiss, Six disappeared.

Gathering up his courage, Gaius marched over to Felix's console and leaned over it. "The commander wants us to work together. He wants us to build a cylon detector."

Felix considered this for a moment, then dismissed several possibilities. "He's killed one by himself and knows they look like us." Rising from his console, he snapped his fingers to get the attention of a crewman. "Get Lieutenant Hanlon up here to finish rewiring this Dradis. I want it fixed before I get back." Turning back to Gaius, Felix nodded to the hatch. "Let's go."

Silent elation filled Gaius as he followed Felix off the deck and in to the corridor. Things were moving on and may be, just may be, he would get some needed answers.

Swaying slightly, Felix rubbed at his forehead and shook it to clear his vision. Hands shaking, he forced himself to breathe regularly in order to level out his thready pulse. As he rose from his chair, he felt his sweat dampened under shirt ride in several places but couldn't be brought to do something about it. His vision started to swim and he paused long enough to let the ache pass.

Opening his eyes again, he walked from the lab. He ignored the shout from Gaius, the man would have to get along without him for a while. Felix needed something and knew where he might find it. Heading down the corridor, he allowed his own instincts and memories to guide him.

As he rounded a corridor, Felix collided with a body head on. His hands shot out to steady himself and the other person, but he caught their scent. Glancing up to the man's face, Felix found himself with Lee. Crushing his lips to those of his husband, Felix pulled him back against him.

Lee went willingly with Felix as he dragged them back the way he had come. Pulling back for breath and to see where they were going, he was surprised to find them going in to the head. The stalls were empty until he was pushed hard in to one of them. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Slamming the door shut behind him, Felix turned the lock in place. As he spun to face Lee, Felix dropped to his knees.

Eyes wide, Lee watched as Felix yanked down the zip of his flight suit until his underwear were exposed. He was about to make a joke, but in the next moment he was biting his arm to cut off the moans.

Washing his face at the sink, Felix ran a wet rag over his neck to wash away the accumulated sweat. Behind him, Lee was busy gingerly zipping up his flight suit. He spared his husband a sympathetic wince, knowing that teeth marks were very sore. His gaze was met with a satisfied smirk of his husband through the mirror.

Heading for the hatch, Felix tossed his rag in the laundry shoot. "Please have something to eat sent to the main medical lab. I'm starting to get shaky." He stepped through the hatch after catching Lee's nod. After he closed it behind him, Felix turned back to the main lab with renewed vigor.

Coming out shortly afterwards, Lee strolled down the corridor whistling.

Slamming his glasses down on the lab top, Gaius rubbed at his eyes. "This is useless, it will take us years to come up with something!" After what the chronometer on the wall had said was four hours of constant work, he was ready to give in. They had made no headway in to distinguishing the appearance of the cylon cells from their own.

Looking up from his work, Felix scowled at the man, then put his head back down to the microscope. Gaius was right about it being useless, if you didn't know what you were looking for. Drawing and coloring in the image on his sample sheet with what he had just found, Felix continued to note the key differences. It would take years to completely chart the cylon cells, but what he knew would be there was. After he finished his eighteenth diagram, he put the stack of papers in the folder and closed it.

Gaius watched him as he rose, confusion evident on his face. "What, done already?"

"No, but I have enough to do a preliminary analyses." Rising from his lab table, he pushed his stool back under the sink. There would be time to finish this later, right now he had to brief the president. Heading for the hatch, he opened it in to chaos. A quick look over his shoulder proved there were no alarms or squawks to inform the staff of an impending attack.

One of the marines on their door turned to face Felix. "Sir?"

"Status?" Stepping in to the melee, he shoved aside the few crewmen who got in his way. His business was more important than some fool who had wandered too far from their post during an alert.

Falling in to step beside Felix, the marine made sure none of his fellow crewmen were too injured. "We're going back up, sir. The Commander has ordered us to Action Stations."

"To fight the cylons no doubt." Felix had enough sense to know the colonials had lost. If they hadn't rallied to Ragnar Anchorage before now, they weren't going to.

"Actually, sir, we are going to provide cover for the civilian fleet while they jump away, then we will follow." The marine bumped in to Felix as the man stopped in his tracks. "Sir?"

"New destination, we're going to the CIC." Altering his course, Felix ran down the corridor to the ladders. Reaching it, he stuck the folder in his mouth and climbed the rungs to the command deck. Upon reaching the command deck, he marched through the marines to the CIC. Just as he thought, the Commander was there with Colonel Tigh, and the Lieutenant Hanlon.

Straightening his baret, Felix entered the CIC and walked up to the Commander. He cleared his throat to get the Commander's attention. "Sir, I have the beginnings of an analysis for you. There is a definite difference."

Shifting his attention from the Dradis screens above the command console, Adama gave Felix a measure stare. "It will have to wait, Major, we are engaged in maneuvers."

"I believe it is imperative we begin testing the crew immediately. If we go in to the fight with a compromised vessel, we will fare no better than the Atlantia." His words drew a scowl from Tigh and curious glances from more than half the CIC staff. When he saw the Commander was about to rebuke him, he turned on Hanlon. "Besides, would you trust your crew in to the hands of that man's calculations?"

"I know my work! Commander, I ask that you allow me to have Gaeta detained!" Rising from his console, Hanlon sent a hate filled glare Felix's way.

A quick glance to the marine captain from Adama had Felix restrained away from him. "The moment we clear the storm, launch all Vipers!" He watched for the moment the dradis blipped the two cylon basestars in to existence on the screen.

Closing his eyes in defeat, Felix went unresisting towards the hatch. They were about to open it when the overhead speakers sparked pilot chatter. Taking advantage of their lag, Felix moved towards the central console again. If nothing else, he could get a better view of what was going on. Watching the battle take place over the dradis, he tuned out the pilot chatter. It was inconsequential, he couldn't do anything to aide them.

A slight tug on his arm let him know the guards hadn't forgotten him and he stopped. He was about to look over to them when something between the dradis screens caught his attention. Felix knew the dradis console and the screen tree like the back of his hand. He had rebuilt the Olympus' on more than one occasion. The circular object at the center did not belong.

Shoving off the guard, Felix rushed the command console. When Tigh caught sight of his actions and tried to intercept him, Felix kneed him in the groin and left him to the way side. Scattering star charts and battle plans, he climbed on to the command console and reached up to grab the device. The marine was at his side, gun at the ready, but he wasn't going to be stopped. As he jerked the device off the console, he heard a crack and pain blossomed in his chest.

Felix was tumbled over off the console by the impact of the bullet. Taking the device with him, it slammed on the deck next to him as he landed. Through pained eyes, he could see the device spark and shatter, but heard nothing. Turning away, he felt small relief that it had been destroyed and smiled. He caught sight of the commander standing over him in anger and dismay. He had to warn him, he owed Lee that much.

"Knew they were coming, never had proof." He moved the only arm he could feel to point at the damaged device. "Proof. The folder, my duffle, all you need. I'm sorry... Not able to..." Felix lost the feeling in his lower extremities as the Commander knelt beside him. "There is a cylon... aboard... your ship." Gasping, for breath as he felt himself losing consciousness, he spurned on his last message. "I'm sorry, no idea...who. Tell Lee...love..." No longer able to feel his mouth, Felix couldn't form the words to speak. Tears clogging his vision, he closed his eyes.

Only the sounds of the pilots could be heard in the CIC.

THE END...


	5. Fallout

Title: Fallout

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 26063

Prompt:

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe, Mpreg.

Summary: While fighting to survive, Felix must face his actions regarding the cylons and their consequences.

Author's Note: Based upon the first twenty-five episodes.

"Prep the patient for emergency surgery. Don't worry about the clothes, he'll get more later!" Scowling, Cottle felt ready to cuff his nursing staff upside their collective ears. He took a final drag from his cigarette, stobbed it out in a pan, then pulled his mask on. Figures, at the end of the world, he would be stuck with the incompetent morons left over from the nursing school graduates.

33

Exhausted from their continued jumps, Commander Adama, Colonel Tigh, Laura Roslin, Gaius Baltar, and Captain Apollo gathered around the wardroom table. On the table were files, hundreds of reports on genetic and cellular mutations. Inter sped among them were hand written copies of observations and calculations. Photos, large and small, digital and printed, were passed between them. Computer discs littered in a small stack at the edge of the table while Gaius went over them on a personal computer.

Just looking at it made Adama's skin crawl. To know that it existed on his ship made him furious beyond reason. It was a piece of banned technology for a reason. But, because of the graveness of their situation, he was left no other choice but to allow its continued existence. "Well, doctor?"

"Fascinating." Gaius' tone was breathless in wonder. In all his years, he had never seen such an advanced device, let alone run the programs it did. The vast storage of knowledge and amount of data stored in it made him hard. "I've never, in all my years, it's just... mind blowing!"

"Well, I'm glad one of us is happy about it." Frowning, Lee picked up another folder with information in it. Scanning the tag on it, he frowned. It was marked entry number two-eight-seven-dash-six. "This isn't Felix's hand writing, I wonder where he got all this from."

"Dr. Anton Atrius." Laura's words stilled Gaius' hands.

"What? That's impossible, Anton Atrius died during the cylon war!" Realizing his words, Gaius colored about his cheeks. "The first cylon war."

"No, he went underground." Turning a folder so Tigh and Adama could see it, Laura pointed to the pictures in it. On the right side of the file were comparisons between an old man and a young man. "Dr. Atrius changed his name and credentials to that of a colleague who did die. Says here it was too escape prosecution under the new science and technologies war crimes act."

"Why didn't he ever change back? The act was repealed two years after the war had ended." Feeling he should be the one to state the only question he could come up with, Tigh looked to Roslin expectantly. He wished he had a drink, the very research in the files creeped him out.

"His work still put him at risk. Besides, he had a comfy job and access to a personal lab. He had everything he wanted as Dr. Sarlos Sripos." Smiling at the name, she felt every minute of her exhaustion. "Gentlemen, I have no idea what all this means, and I think the only one who does lays dying in Galatica's infirmary."

"Actually, Madam President, I believe I can solve this." Pushing up his glasses, Gaius finished typing in the command string to reprogram the password on the computer and closed it. He would have need of it later and didn't want anyone else to have access to it. "Dr. Adama was continuing the research of Dr. Shenkar and Dr. Atrius. Not with the same purpose in mind, but one very specific goal."

"He knew they were coming." His words haunted her memory. Closing her eyes, Laura felt the table sway under her. "I'm exhausted, I am sure all of you are as well. Why don't we continue this later. We will discuss Mr. Gaeta's fate, if he should live, at another time."

"You won't." Staring at the President and his father in defiance, Lee stood up. "When he comes out of this, the only decision you are going to make is how best he can serve, just like the rest of us. Felix risked his life to expose the cylon technology, if he hadn't who knows what might have happened."

"Then why didn't the mutt warn us before we were attacked?" No one could answer Tigh's question. Pointing a finger at Lee, Tigh stared him down. "You can talk all you want, junior, but if he is a traitor, there is only one fate for him."

"Enough, both of you. When Mr. Gaeta... Felix wakes, he will be questioned. That's final." Rising from the table, Bill swayed a little and had to use the chair to hold himself steady. He needed to get some sleep and soon. "Madam President, if you wish to stay we have a VIP cabin, if you wish to leave, your ship is still docked in the port side landing bay."

"I'll take the cabin, thank you, Commander Adama." Rising from the table, she leaned on her own chair until the room stopped spinning. Feeling light headed, she snorted out a giggle. "Oh, I hope I don't fall flat on my face in front of your crew. That really isn't a good way to start off my presidency."

Slipping in to the quarters that had been Felix's a week ago, Lee glanced about the room. Upon the walls was everything that had been Felix's duffle not sealed in a box at the bottom of his bag. The contents of the box now rested in the Commander's hands, including the computer that Gaius hadn't wanted to let go of. Lee hadn't known Felix had it, or any of the contents of the box.

Sitting on the bunk, Lee admitted to himself there were many things he hadn't known about his husband, hadn't bothered to ask. One of those things he hadn't bothered to ask, where had Felix been during the times he was absent the first year of their relationship. Another thing he never asked, why had Felix stayed with him. His last words had been for him.

Letting the grief take hold, Lee looked up on the walls. He had had the chief put mounts on the walls for the pictures. An entire album spanning their two year marriage lined one wall. Another held pictures of Lee's family, his brother, his mother, even one with Admiral Montrose. Lee looked away quickly from the one of his mother kissing Montrose's cheek. They were gone, yet he couldn't bring himself to think about it.

The third wall was covered in one large tapestry. Lee didn't know how, or when, but his husband had taken it from the display case in their apartment back on Caprica. It had been wrapped in a leather case with a lock and a tag signed 'to Commander Adama'. He didn't know what Felix had in mind, but he wasn't giving it to his father. On the wall beside the bed, Lee had the mounted picture of Felix in his underwear and unbuttoned shirt with the pellet gun down his pants.

That had been his one contribution to the room's decor, it never left Lee's own duffle except when he was stationed away from home. Home was now an eight by ten room on the BattleStar Galactica. At least he and Felix would share it together. Unzipping his flight suit, he allowed himself to remember the precious few hours before the meeting. He had been so exhausted flying the Viper. Under normal circumstances he would never have been out there without sleep.

When Felix woke up, he would confess to being a murderer. What his husband decided of him he would except as what he was. Fifteen hundred people, if they had been real, had lost their lives at his hands. Fifteen hundred people on a transport with nukes heading towards his home, his family, his husband. Squeezing the trigger had been an easy choice.

Too easy.

Slipping out of his flight suit, he fell back against the bed. His bed, soon to be their bed. Felix would be well enough to come home soon and he planned on making one for them. They would have each other, there were people he knew on the ship, he would make it work. Slipping in to sleep, Lee didn't notice as his face became soaked in tears.

Standing on the outside of the infirmary, Gaius watched through the door as Felix was tended by a nurse. It wasn't normally a life threatening wound, but the delay in his treatment had been costly. They had waited until after the attack, then he had to wait until the injured pilots were taken care of, finally, the jumping began. All in all, Gaius estimated Felix had waited close to six hours before being treated.

It was disgusting.

Because of Commander Adama's anger, Felix Adama lay in a drug induced coma. Gaius shivered, it could just as easily be him if the commander knew how involved he had been. Already, the man looked at him as if he was the enemy just because of his field of study. The man needed him since an over zealous guard had nearly killed his other best hope. Gaius had heard what had happened, knew Felix was trying to save them.

Who knew, if they hadn't shot the good Major, three of the ships lost because of the bumbling tactical officer might still be with them. As it was, they had him calculating jumps while Tigh ran the damned dradis. Lieutenant Hanlon was cooling his heels in his quarters nursing a broken jaw. Adama Jr. was quite a mean insomniac.

Chuckling, Gaius felt weary of being stuck on the Galactica. No other ship would have him thanks to the Commander's edict. He had been drafted, for lack of a better word, in to the service of the colonies. Holding no official rank or title, he was simply Dr. Baltar, jack of all trades. Oh yes, there was no denying it, he was truly indispensable to these people. So, it served him if no one ever knew he and the beautiful, but deadly, Natasi had ever met.

Sadly, that meant Felix was safer for him dead. Despite the influence of his own personal Natasi demon, he wouldn't bring himself to kill the man. Felix had spared his life when he could have turned him in as a traitor, he would spare his in return. As fingers creeped up his neck to caress his cheek on one side, Six's face pressed against his other.

"Stewing again, my love? If you hadn't told me you didn't brood, I would think you were doing it now." Wrapping her arms around his waist, she squeezed him tight enough to make him gasp. "Since you've been so kind, God has told me to give you a gift. Aaron Doral is a cylon."

"What?" In alarm, Gaius turned to look at her but the apparition was gone. Swallowing, he cast a final glance to Felix, then went off to his lab. There were samples he was running for analysis based upon Felix's findings, Aaron Doral was one of them.

Hitting the switch that sent Aaron Doral in to space was almost like ecstasy for him. A quick glance over his shoulder told Lee that he wasn't the only one who enjoyed watching the bastard get sucked out. When they had confronted him earlier that morning with Gaius' findings, the cylon hadn't even pretended. Instead, he tried to get them to shoot him. It wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying, but would have saved them hours of frustratingly futile interrogation.

"Well, I could certainly do that again." Rubbing her hands together, Kara grinned at Gaius. "Got any more?"

In disgust, Gaius turned away. He wanted nothing to do with these people, their blood lust was beyond repulsive. Shoving passed the guards, he fled in to the corridor and back to his lab. At least this way he could find some room to breathe. The fact they had just spaced someone who had been a personal threat to him had nothing to do with. If the cylon had named him... Gaius shook it off.

Back in the docking port, Bill saw the President in a new light. He had thought she would fight for the rights of the cylon, a bleeding heart that sympathized with life. When she had unequivocally stated to space him, even he had been surprised. There was a calculating coldness to her that he hadn't believed existed. Grudgingly, he had to admit he liked it.

Letting his hand fall from the airlock controls, Lee stepped back. Ignoring the others, he slipped out of the docking port and turned towards the infirmary. Since he had no job today, it being Kara's shift on CAP, he resigned himself to spending it in the infirmary. Even after twelve hours of sleep, he still felt exhausted.

Kara watched Lee leave in silence. She sympathized with him, but Felix's actions had gotten him shot, no one else's. Saluting the Commander, she headed back to the pilot's barracks to get ready for her duty shift.

The last one left in the room, Laura continued to watch the airlock. Her first official execution. She still felt the cold and bitter hatred that had coursed through her the moment she learned Aaron was a cylon. If he had been near her, she would have tried to kill him herself. As it was, she felt unresolved, bereft of closure. Deep inside, she wanted them to hurt, all of them. The cylons had done this to her and her people, they deserved whatever she could deal them.

Water

Coming awake, a deep seeded ache spread through out his chest and Felix knew pain. Flexing the damaged muscles, he grit his teeth. It would hurt anyways, this way the ache would be from healing instead of atrophy. Not knowing how long he had been out, he reached up to rub at his chin. There was stubble, but also cuts, whoever had shaved him wasn't used to his face.

He tried to sit up, but the stitching across his shoulder forced him to remain flat until the twinging passed. When they had, he gently pulled himself up in to a sitting position on the gurney. After that was accomplished, he let his body rest once more and looked around. Through the clear curtains that cordoned off his bed from the rest of the infirmary, he saw a few people milling about as a nurse looked over them.

There were surprisingly few people in the infirmary from what he remembered. They had been engaged in a battle at that point, which they obviously had survived. Since there wasn't a guard about, either they hadn't expected him to live or he wasn't under arrest. But they would have many questions.

Bracing himself, Felix decided to put his mind in order. He knew the time would come very soon when he had to answer them. It wouldn't do to get things wrong and they be able to call him on it. Thankfully, he had two years to prepare for this day. All he needed to do was update his prepared responses.

The one question he knew they would ask he didn't feel comfortable answer was probably the worst. Why hadn't he told anyone? His answer to that one might not go over too well. People tended to only hear the worst part of an explanation and judge you upon that. So, in it's stead, he came up with the half answer. "Because I had no proof. When I tried telling the nursing staff they sedated me and put me in restraints claiming I was delusional. Which precludes my main reason, because I didn't think they deserved to know."

"Deserved to know what?" Marking down information on his chart, Cottle sighed with disgust at the appearance of his patient. "You are not supposed to be sitting up."

"So have me thrown in the brig." Waving it off, Felix yawned. "Give it to me straight, doc, am I going to ever get my game back?"

"You're lucky to still have that arm. If it weren't for a healthier than average immune system, you should be dead." After setting the chart down on the beside table, Cottle took Felix's injured shoulder in hand and raised the arm. He ignored Felix's wince as he moved it about. "Astounding the way the human body works. If I didn't know better, I would say three weeks ago you had been shot."

"You mean I dreamed that?" Felix chuckled. It was a bad situation, but he had survived worse. "What's the status of the ship?"

"Too damned many whiny babies. If I have to treat another person for stressed induced insomnia I'm going to start prescribing knocks to the head." Releasing Felix, Cottle struck a match and lit his cigarette. Blowing smoke away from his patient, he ignored the scowl Felix shot him. "I've ordered a new set of screens on your blood, there seems to be a few anomalies that I can't account for at this time and no time to figure out why. Perhaps Baltar can have better luck, with all that crap you've been working on, he seems to think he has the answer to everything."

"Believe me, I'd rather not have it." Felix had known distantly that they would find the research, but that Baltar was working with it shocked him. "What of it all? Am I to be arrested?"

"Better hope not, seems the going rate for being an enemy of the state these days is spacing." Cottle patted his leg in a humoring gesture. "The stitches come out tomorrow, hope you like pain." Walking away, he spewed smoke like a demon trying to scare his nurses.

"What kind of world have I woken to?" There was no response. Yawning again, Felix settled back down in his blankets. He could deal with them later. Rolling over on to his good side, he tugged the blankets over his bad shoulder and went to sleep.

The second time he awoke it was to find the stool next to his gurney occupied. It wasn't the person he had hoped to see. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he gently moved so he could see her better. "What can I do for you, Madam President?"

"That's the first time you've called me that, now I know it's official." Smiling, she tried to feel levity, but ended up sighing. This was harder than she thought. "Were you ever going to tell us?"

"I told you." It was the truth, he could have tried harder, but he had told her. Suddenly looking away, he had to fight off a wave of dizziness. His stomach was upset, making him feel nauseous. "Humanity en mass is a vile creature, betwixt with corruption and disease at the core..."

"Don't quote philosophy at me! As far as many are concerned, you are just as guilty as the cylons." Laura had to rein in her temper, assaulting a bid ridden person was never a good thing. "But, I think, you are worse. You knew what was coming, and you chose to let it happen. You betrayed your own species."

"They aren't my species." Felix whispered the words mostly to himself, but he realized the president had heard him. Taking a deep breath, he faced her again, expression blank. "I'm not a cylon, but I'm not human either. I ceased being human a long time ago."

She sat, quiet. Honesty aside, she had no idea what to make of him. Upon realizing he wasn't going to speak, she decided to prod him. "What are you then?"

"A hand." Sitting up, he put the pain from his mind and reached out to grab her hand. "Turn it over, tell me what you see." Releasing her hand, he sat back in his bed.

On a whim, she complied. "I see my palm, four fingers and an opposable thumb."

"You aren't using your imagination." Flattening his hand and palm, he cut through the air first up, then down. Curling his fingers, Felix waved his hand to fan himself. "I am a hand."

"What does this have to do with your actions involving the cylons?" She wouldn't be distracted by his displays. He was trying to hide something and it wasn't going to stay that way.

"They deserved to die. Humanity's time has passed. God has decreed the Cylons will take their place. Is that what you want to hear?" Despite his words, his tone was plaintive. He hoped he was wrong, but he believed she had already made up her mind about him. This was just for her own curiosity's sake. "The line between cylon and human is thin. Your two cultures are radically different, but in the end, you're both just living organisms bent on self domination."

It took monumental effort not to scream at him. "Why did you do it?"

"My work was with reproductive technologies, it made me valuable to them. The principle of a perfect being being sterile hits a little too close to home for them. I gave them technology to help with their reproductive states in exchange for my life when they came to wipe out humanity. Enlightened self interest I believe it is called. They were going to win either way, you didn't stand a chance." When she rose from the stool, he almost felt a twinge of sympathy, but it quickly went away.

"Despite your efforts, I won't have you put to death. Instead, you are confined to my service. You will do what I tell you, Mr. Adama, when I tell you." Stalking away, she hoped it wasn't a mistake. There wasn't a good answer to his actions, but what he had told her contained a grain of truth.

In Dr. Cottle's office, Laura met with Commander Adama. His expression made her want something hard to drink. "He didn't betray us. He won't give a straight answer as to why, but I think he partially believes what he is telling me." Glancing out the door towards Felix's bed, she felt a chill sweep her. "You said we never asked why we deserved to live in your speech. I think he did."

"And?" Bill sincerely disliked being lead around by words and the people who wielded them.

"He didn't help either side. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions." A final look to Felix, then she walked away.

Bastille Day

Tentatively, Lee walked in the infirmary. For the past three days since Felix had awakened, he had avoided going to visit him. It had hurt to stay away, but he had to be sure he wouldn't rebuke his husband for his actions. He wasn't going to blame Felix for the death of his mother and his friends. They were going to get through it together, even if they had to drag each other along by the hair.

All good sense fled at the sight of his husband. He had been expecting Felix to look at him with some emotion, any emotion. The blank face set something off in him like an explosion and sudden rage filled him. Lee had to hold himself back to keep from harming Felix. "You're alive."

"Who hit you?" Rising from his gurney, Felix eased himself to the deck. When Lee tried to withdraw from him, Felix's hands shot up to cup his bruised cheek. Gently, he probed at the tender flesh, letting his thumb caress the cheek.

"Why?" Sullen, he avoided looking at Felix's eyes.

"I'm going kill them." The line was delivered in such a sincere tone, Felix knew he meant it. His insides were knotted with the need to throw up and his sudden anger at seeing his husband harmed. Someone had hurt his husband and he intended to make an end of them. "Who hit you?"

"It's been taken care of." Lee winced when Felix embraced him. His sides were still sore from the fight aboard the Astral queen. "Why did you do it, Felix? You should have warned us, we deserved the right to fight!"

"You are alive when everyone else is dead. Do not ask any more." There was tense silence between them. Giving in to the need, Felix lowered his head to Lee's shoulder. It was the safest place in the universe to him, in Lee's arms all else ceased to be.

Slowly at first, Lee reluctantly raised his arms to wrap around his husband's body. When he was close, he finally noticed the tremors running through Felix. A sniff alerted him to the fact he was crying. "They're all gone."

Nodding, Felix struggled to compose himself, but being with Lee again released the last of his will power. He was lost to his emotions. Thankfully, Lee was there to hold him steady. "I love you."

Considering his emotions, Lee tried to summon up something through the anger and resentment. All he could achieve was cold numbness. Grabbing Felix by the arms, he forced him to take a step back. "I want to, but I don't think I can return it any more."

All feeling left him. Staring at his husband, Felix's world was immensely calm. Composing himself, he nodded. "Very well, Captain. I believe that since our relationship is now concluded, there is no point in delaying the inevitable." He backed completely out of Lee's arms. "You are dismissed back to your duties."

Nodding, Lee felt himself breathe easier. It shouldn't have been so, they were married. If the furies took him harder in hand, then not even that would remain. He was through the hatch in to the corridor before he even realized he had been walking. His duties could wait, he was too conflicted for the moment.

When someone put a hand on his shoulder, Felix shrugged it off. Rubbing at his still raw shoulder, he slid off the patient gown. Looking to a nurse, he signaled for her to come over. "Get me my clothes, please."

"Four miners do not just die in an accident, I want to know how exactly the equipment failed so it doesn't happen again. Tell the forewoman that she is to halt all drilling with that standard until we find out the source." Entering her makeshift office on Colonial One, Laura handed a note to Billy. "Ensure this is sent to the Admiral, it is my authorization for the cessation of use of that standard."

"Yes, ma'am. Anything else?" Billy glanced up to see where he was going and promptly dropped his clip board.

Seeing the freaked expression on her aide, Laura turned to find out what had caused him to... "Good morning, Felix."

"Madam President." Rising from his chair in front the desk, Felix extended his good hand.

After a moment of hesitation, Laura accepted it. They shook twice before she withdrew. "What brings you to my ship?"

"Duty. You reserved my services, I hear and obey." He cast a quick glance to Billy, then dismissed him from thought. The boy was little more than an infant, Felix had no use for him. Switching his view back to Laura, he inclined his head. A few curls slipped out of his baret, but he left them. He would have to see what passed for a barber on the Galactica soon. "What shall I do for you today?"

"What an intimidating figure you are in that uniform." Her tone light, she enjoyed the smile he gave her teasing. There was too much seriousness in the recent times. "I assume Dr. Cottle gave you leave to go back to work."

"Dr. Cottle's opinion in that matter is that I am better without taking up a gurney in his infirmary. I am well enough to carry out my duties, you need not fear my competence." Four miners on the service of the ice planet below the fleet were proof of that. Not that anyone knew that, it was just something for himself, and Lee.

"Ah, well, there is nothing at the moment. I am currently addressing the lack of supplies in the fleet, which seems to be the only thing we have in abundance." She cast a look over her shoulder to Billy. "Well, get to it."

"Right! Right!" Bending over, he picked up his fallen clipboard and backed out of the cabin towards the front of Colonial One.

"Cute kid, but he needs to grow in to his body." Sitting down again, Felix unbuttoned the top of his uniform and the bottom three. His shoulder was protesting the movements, but he didn't care. "What did you learn at the doctors on Caprica?"

"You were right." Coming around her desk, she was about to take her seat, but noticed a jar in the chair. Frowning, she picked it up and examined it. Laura gasped. "Where did you find this?"

"There is an Oracle among the fleet. She carries more than enough to spare." Felix frowned. He didn't like to think about Chamalla, he knew there was still enough in his system to pose a risk if he imbibed any intoxicant. "Doctor Cottle mentioned to a nurse that someone requested Chamalla. There is only really one reason for it and the secrecy he put behind the request."

"I see." Once again, she was reminded of why she missed him as her aide. She had someone to fill that role now, he wasn't as good as Felix, but there were other issues to consider. Putting the jar on her desk, she sat down in the chair and leaned over it. "I have no official duties for you right now. The Galactica is handling security, but I am sure they could use your skills. The sooner we can establish something akin to normalcy among the fleet, the better our people will feel."

"I understand. My recommendation is to secure outside security personnel for them. A Civilian Authority would not go remiss. While the military is there to protect them, they will only grow to fear and resent your administration if you continue to use them as a police force." He started to lean back in his chair, but winced and switched sides.

"How will we pay them? Currency at the moment is basically worthless. Most people are bartering away what they carry faster than we can inventory it. Those with the most to hand out are hording." Placing her head in her hands, she rubbed at her forehead. Her eyes closed, just wanting it all to go away for a few days. "Most of the ships have little to no room to spare, what people are on them are packed in like sardines. They never intended to support so many people in such a little space. I can't imagine how far we must go before we will have room to stretch our legs. This all just seems so hopeless right now."

"The right path always feels that way, it's why so many people fail. Their own anxiety and fears weigh heavier than the actual task and crushes their spirit." Taking a moment to breathe through his gritted teeth, Felix rubbed at his shoulder. The last spasm had been particularly painful.

Raising her head at the sound, she stared at him confusion. Watching his movements made her realize just how serious his condition had been. "Take the time off and recover while you can. Go back to Galactica and your husband."

"I no longer have a husband." Felix waved off her expression with an unconcerned gesture. "He blamed me for Caroline's death. I told him I loved him, he said he can't return it. We both agreed it's over."

That gave her pause and took her mind away from her duties. Her own resentment towards him flared, but she forced her way through it. There was no point to it. "What exactly was the extent of your involvement?"

"I gave them access to forbidden research." Again, he seemed aloof from his response. The only tell that he felt something was the way he finished speaking by closing his mouth and exhaling through his nose. Shrugging, he looked out through the port holes.

"So they would spare your life?" Her tone was sardonic. She knew when he was lying to her, he tried too hard to make it believable.

"Basically, yes." That was all she was going to get out of him on the subject. Picking at his uniform, he let the muscles in his shoulder relax. "You should consider my idea about a Civilian Authority. It gives legitimacy to your government, and if it is comprised of civilians, grounds it in reality to them that they still have a say."

"I'll give it some thought." He had lied to her about his reason, that Laura knew. They held something over him, or more likely, offered him something he desperately wanted. What would they have had that he wanted? The thought was as troubling as it was puzzling. If they did it once, they could do it again. "I'll have Billy set aside a bed for you here onboard Colonial One. I want you to get some rest and ready to talk tomorrow."

"You should try that yourself." Rising from his chair, Felix left her to attend her works.

Act of Contrition

If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Rubbing his forehead, Felix pushed his curls out of his eyes. He really needed to get them cut back. He had woken reaching out for Lee in a bed too small to hold him and his husband, nearly falling out in his actions. There had been no reason for it in his mind, he knew Lee was gone, therefore he should have accepted it.

Now, they had a problem with pilots aboard the Galactica, or so the rumors had said. Word went out since he had gone to bed the night before, three dead and eight out of commission for the time being. They needed experienced hands to man the Vipers. He had overheard the announcement over the intercomm, had he been asleep it would have awakened him.

When he had confirmed none of them had been Lee, he debated coming them just to check on him. There was really nothing he could do, it would really be for his own sake. Lee had made it clear he didn't feel any thing for him but contempt. It was done, their marriage was over with even if only in spirit.

Pulling up the blanket, Felix rolled over and went back to sleep.

When next he woke, Felix wasn't really interested in what was being said around him. People were talking, they always did, always would. From what he could make out, they were excited. One of them had gone off to the Galactica and hadn't been rejected. They were happy about that?

Snorting, Felix rolled on to his back in the bed and stretched. His shoulder barely twinged when he eased it through the exercises. When he tried to sit up, the room spun and he had to clutch at the side of the bed to keep himself sitting. As it was, it took all his will power to keep from throwing up. Apparently, whatever drugs Cottle had been giving him to fight off the nausea were out of his system.

Clutching his stomach, Felix used the wall at the head of his bed to ease himself up. He took a minute to let his stomach adjust to the new height before he stumbled to the bathroom. There were twenty people sharing it so he couldn't expect to have privacy for long. Despite his best efforts, Felix spit up bile in to the toilet before his stomach settled down.

After washing off in the shower, he dried quickly and left the towel in the hamper along the wall outside the bathroom. He patted barefoot along the deck towards his bed and subsequently his chest. In the chest were four clean Inspector General's uniforms and two regulars sets of clothes. He opted for the Inspector General's uniform.

As he started to button his pants, he noticed they were tighter than before. Frowning, he sucked in his stomach, closed the button, and zipped up. It was a small thing he would have to work at. His waist line expanding wasn't the end of the world, just a side effect of the end of the world. Snorting, Felix glanced down. He realized he had been rubbing the waist band of his pants. The material felt like his old uniform and that reminded him of Lee.

After he put the uniform jacket on, Felix buttoned it up and grabbed his baret off the handle at the foot of the bed. If he jerked the handle, the bed would squeeze up like an accordion. As amusing as it would be to try out on a few of the room's other occupants, Felix decided Roslin needed him more.

After swallowing back an attempt by his stomach to escape through his throat, Felix walked to the stairs that lead up to the passenger cabins on the main deck. He came out of the stairwell to find a uniformed man. He vaguely recognized the uniform as one of the colonial passenger fleets. The man was leaning aggressively over Roslin's desk, facing her down. With barely a thought to the action, he jerked the man by the back of his uniform and forcefully sat him down in his seat.

"Wha..." Captain Ulero was strangled by the front of his own uniform. Tugging at his jacket, he tried to get air. When he was pulled in to the chair, he gasped for breath and turned to look who had attacked him.

Hands behind his back, Felix stared down at the man impassively. "Keep your distance from the president, I won't tell you again."

"Thank you, Major Adama, but that won't be necessary. The captain was just telling me of the needs of his passengers." Internally, Laura was pleased by his actions. None of her so called guards were apparently inclined to do anything until the man was actually taking action. Hostile speech and mannerisms weren't enough. She would have to speak with their captain. "Captain Ulero, I understand your concern, we all do, but the fact is until we can locate more space, your passengers will simply have to learn to accept the fact that there is no room to exercise."

"They're a Pyramid Team! They require a certain amount of physical effort or they risk endangering their health." Voice horse, Ulero winced at his croaking sounds.

Grinning, Felix put a hand on the captain's shoulder to let him know he was veering over the line in his tone. "A Pyramid Team? Excellent, then they are use to following orders and working together. If they can keep their more violent instincts under control they would make natural police officers. What do you think, Madam President?"

This time Laura didn't try to hide her smile. "I see you aren't about to let this go."

"A good idea is worth the effort." Letting it settle between them, he inclined his head.

"Very well, we'll see what comes of it, Mr. Adama. Captain Ulero, is that all or do you have another request?" When he shook his head in denial, Laura rose from her behind her desk. "If you will follow Billy, he will escort you back to your transport. Once you get back to your ship, ask those among your passengers who would join the new Civilian Authority and get back to me over the wireless. Thank you."

Confused, Captain Ulero rose from his chair. He was quietly relieved when Felix backed away from him. Moving as fast as decorum allowed, he followed Billy out of the President's office.

"Felix, if you will hold a minute." Coming round her desk, Laura leaned back against it. She waited until he was near before taking off her glasses. "Commander Adama commed us, he would like to speak to you at your earliest convenience. Also, Dr. Cottle would like to draw blood again, your last sample was contaminated."

"Do you have any more interviews today?" At the shake of her head, Felix sighed. He didn't want to go over to the Galactica. If there was no way around it, he supposed he had no choice. "When do I leave?"

"There is a Raptor waiting in the hangar bay." She nodded in response to his salute. A small knot in her chest eased as he left the room. Still something about him set her nerves on edge even after all this time. Dismissing it while Billy came back in, she put her mind to more important things. "Tell the captain of the Denueo I want a real manifest this time, we are a fleet, there will be no hoarding. That is a presidential order."

Nervously holding her helmet, Boomer watched the deck crew. They were fixing a conduit leading to the spacial doors. What bothered her wasn't what they were doing, but who her passenger was going to be. She had heard rumor about the man she was transporting and it upset her greatly. Everyone knew he was Captain Adama's husband, but they weren't together any more because of reasons they refused to talk about. Unofficially, he was involved with the cylons and knew of those who were human in appearance.

Having her own problems, Boomer didn't need a traitor poking his nose in her business, giving rise to her own fears. She could accuse herself of problems enough, thank you very much.

Her first sight of the man, she instantly knew who he was. The intimidating air he gave off in his current dress and demeanor had gave the deck crew pause to gawk at him. From what she knew of Lee, Felix fit the bill of someone she thought he might be attracted to. As he came to stand beside him, she stood at attention and saluted him. "Hello, Major, I am your pilot, Lieutenant Boomer."

Returning the salute, Felix gestured to her craft. "Permission to come aboard, Lieutenant."

"Granted. Welcome aboard, sir." She proceeded him up the ramp and in to the Raptor. Putting on her helmet, she locked it in place and strapped herself in her seat. Moving on autopilot, Boomer forced her mind not to linger on his uniform. The Inspector General's uniform never appeared under happy circumstances in military experience.

Taking the co-pilot's chair in the back, Felix strapped himself in. Pulling on a headset, he activated it. "Ready for flight, Boomer." It had been over a year since he was last in a Raptor, but to him almost nothing had changed. So much for advanced military hardware.

Sighing with relief that he hadn't even looked at her funny, Boomer powered up the Raptor's controls. "Engines are active. Opening Hangar doors."

"The hangar is clear. We are go." Casting a glance towards her straight back, Felix watched her with barely restrained disgust. She was one of them, one of Lee's people. He hadn't expected to feel so bitter, but the sight of her uniform set him on edge. What right had she to wear that uniform and not he?

Instead of delaying like he wanted, Felix made his way to Commander Adama's personal quarters. There was no way in hell he was going back to the CIC. What nausea he woke with had abated, but there was need to test his nerves. Fighting back the urge to run, he stalked down the last corridor to the Commander's hatch. Nodding to the guard, he rapped on the door.

"Enter." Tense, Bill was busy reading over old files when he caught sight of his visitor. "What do you want?"

"You requested to talk to me. As far as I am concerned, we have nothing to say to one another." He knew he was being petty, but who cared. The man was an asshole of the first kind.

Biting back his rebuke, Adama nodded. He gestured to the seat across from him at the desk, but wasn't surprised when Felix made no effort to take it. "They said you were the most promising officer they had seen at the academy for decades."

"I didn't hold promise, I was best, period." There was no need for modesty. Of seven in his class, he was the top. "That was your loss, Commander. Is that all?"

"No, that is not all!" Jaw tight, he glared at the man through his glasses. He knew if he stood, there would be a physical fight. Time for a different approach. "I can see why he likes you. Your animosity matches his own."

"Surpasses, I would say. He's your son, he feels an obligation to you, I hold no such ties." If the old man was trying to make amends between them, Felix would walk out right now. He didn't want anything from him, the old bastard had everything he was going to get. Holding his head higher, he refused to even look at the Commander. "In the end, he chose you over me, that makes me hate you all the more."

"Do you hate us that much, Major?" He knew that Felix held only a field rank as Major due to his experience and political connections, but decided it kept them formal enough to be comfortable.

It took Felix a moment to realize he wasn't talking about him and Lee, but humanity in general. Biting the inside of his lip, Felix considered the question for a long time. After a while, he had to nod.

"What experience could be so heinous that you would turn against your own kind? You were an officer on a battlestar, they gave you glowing reviews across the board. Nothing ever indicated this might happen." Taking a calming breath, Adama looked down to his hands. They were wrapped around the photo of him and his boys. His boys looked so happy there. "Why?"

"They never betrayed me." Hands clenched, chest puffed up in rage, Felix longed to grab the nearest object and beat the commander with it. He took a step towards the unaware man, just grab the book and he could do it. It was a thick volume, it would be hard and heavy in the swing. Pulling himself up short, he veered off with visible effort. Felix quickly turned his back on Adama.

Gasping from the effort, Felix rubbed at his stomach. Something was wrong with him, he never lost control like this. His emotions were kept firmly in control where they needed to be. Ever since he had boarded the cursed ship four weeks ago, everything had been a wreck.

Suddenly brought to tears from the fear of losing control, Felix put a hand to his mouth to stifle a whimper. He wasn't going to lose in this bastard's presence. Wrapping his arms around himself, he longed to be with Lee. His husband would know what to do, he knew how to bring Felix out of these funks. Realizing that wouldn't be happening, Felix let out horse sob.

Raising his head, Adama was alarmed at how close the man had gotten while he was lost in his revelry. He was about to speak when he noticed Felix's posture and the way he swayed slightly. Felix was crying and trying to comfort himself. What the hell was happening with the man, had he finally snapped?

Wiping his face with one hand, Felix inhaled to clear his nose. "Is that what you wanted to know, sir?" He refused to look at the Commander. Who knew what other emotion might come up next and overwhelm him?

"Actually, I wanted to speak with you about Zak." It pained him to say it, but he need to clear his conscious. "I was wrong to do what I did to you. Zak was a hothead and I over reacted."

Dead emotionally, Felix ignored the tears that slid down his face. "Too late, Commander." Without another word, he walked out of the cabin and slammed the door shut.

Straightening his posture, Felix grunted to clear his throat. He wasn't going to put on a show for the bastard's benefit. There was one last appointment to make on the Galactica then he could go back to his duties on Colonial One.

On the wall beside him, the handset buzzed twice. Picking it up, Adama placed it to his ear. "Report."

Baltar was near hysterical at his console. There were so many samples from the Galactica alone, he was beside himself. He would never get all the work done, it would take decades to scan them all. Whatever cylons there were among the crew, he would certainly die at their hands long before he could identify them. Rubbing at his forehead, he tried to stave off a headache.

The hatch along the wall opened and Felix marched in. Already rolling up his sleeve, he was in no mood to dither about. "Cottle sent me here. Take your sample and be done with it, doctor."

Seeing Felix, Gaius finally cracked up. Chuckling to himself, he felt the tension leave. "Oh thank the gods, I was beginning to think I had imagined you. Been so long since I saw anyone not... That doesn't matter, how do you feel, Felix?"

Felix felt for the man, he really did. He was a fool, but he should be pitied for it, not hated. Holding up his arm, he flexed the muscle. "I am well, I'll be even better once you finish taking the sample."

"What? Oh, right! Please come over here and take a seat, this won't take but a moment." Smiling, Gaius snapped on a fresh pair of gloves and retrieved a new vial and needle set. Putting them down on the lab table next to Felix. Next, he came about with a sterile rubbing pad and swabbed the area. Finally, he inserted the needle and took his sample. "There, that wasn't too bad."

Rubbing at his arm where Gaius placed the cotton ball to soak up the blood from the puncture, Felix frowned. "I really hate doing that."

"So do I, but it seems to be my new lot in life, a lab technician checking blood samples for cylons." Actually happy, Gaius pulled up a seat next to Felix. He couldn't deny the obvious joy the other man's presence brought him. "So, tell me, what do you do now? I know it's only been a few days since you awoke, but, there has to be something different out there."

"I am as I was, the President's aide. We are martialing a police force to provide a Civilian Authority. Crews and captains alike are fighting, each demanding they have precedence over her authority." Despite the suddenness of it, Felix liked being able to talk to Baltar. He found himself relaxed and willing to chat. "What has been going on here?"

Pretending nonchalance, Gaius leaned back against the lab table on his elbows. "There isn't much to tell. Military types and all, not a lot of room for them to just be human for a while."

Felix nodded. He had been one of them types, but took no offense. Having lived as a civilian for three years, he understood what Gaius meant. "Anyone new in your life?"

"Always." It took all his resolve not to react to the appearance of Six on the table across from him. He tracked her with his eyes as she uncrossed her legs and her skirt rode up just so much... Eyes turning to Felix, he grinned brilliantly. "While not on duty, some of these military women can be quite, shall we say, enthusiastic."

"Lee is, was." After correcting himself, Felix looked down at his arm where Gaius' hand rested. "It doesn't matter. I am sure everyone knows by now. He couldn't handle my involvement with the cylons, so I told him it was over."

"It's a shame really, after all he did for that human only to end up like this." Sympathy clearly upon her face, Six slid off the table. Coming around Felix, she tilted her head to study him. "He won't be alone for long, God has seen to that."

Choking on his own saliva, Gaius gasped for breath. He waved off Felix's helping hand and shook his head. "Just a hair, in my throat, nothing to worry about." Red faced from the strain, he set about wheezing his way back to normal breathing.

Reluctantly, Felix rose from his stool. "I should let you get back to your work. I am sure you are plenty busy considering the number of people aboard, let alone in the fleet."

"Oh, no! There is no putting out, I enjoy the respite from my work." Much to his dismay, it was the most fun he had had in too long. To be truthful to himself, Gaius hadn't enjoyed himself since the fall of the colonies. "If you feel guilty, you can assist me."

At that Felix laughed. He wasn't sad here and barely thought of Lee. It was something he liked doing and was good at. Roslin could wait for a while, she was hard pressed to find anything for him to do as it was. "All right, where do I suit up?"

"There is an extra smock in the locker by the door. Just wash up in the sink and put on your gloves." When Felix turned to do as instructed, Gaius smirked at Six. Her pout made him hard as a brick in his pants and he yearned to work out the stiffness.

Pulling on the smock, Felix had time to think about why he was there. "Gaius, you examined my last blood sample, right?"

"Yes, why?" Barely distracted from her breasts, Gaius watched Six bare them slowly.

"I'm curious." Felix picked the soap bar to wash his hands with instead of the liquid from habit. "What was it contaminated with?"

"I'm not sure. There were an... ah!" He gasped as Six let her dress drop. "Female hormones! Yes, lots of them, not right in the male blood stream." Caught up in her tease, he didn't see Felix stop and frown. "If I wasn't certain it was a mistake, I would say you were pregnant! The mere thought... Oh! It's ludicrous!"

Felix dropped the soap bar in the sink. Glancing over at Gaius, he noticed the man had his hand down his pants and his eyes closed. Clearing his throat, he blushed furiously and turned back to washing his hands. After picking up the soap, he rinsed off and used the towel to dry his hands.

The throat clearing bringing him back to reality, Gaius sighed in disappointment. Six was such a frakking tease. "Shall we get to work?"

"Yes." A little shaky, Felix donned a pair of gloves and began setting up a separate work station. Among the supplies, he pulled out the white strips and chemical sets to do right tests. When he had them right, he mixed them in a sample container and slipped it in to his smock. "Um, I need to use the head, I'll be right back."

"If you must." Despite his words, Gaius grinned at Felix. "But come right back, now that I have you, I'm not letting you go."

Felix forced the smile and left.

Bent over the toilet again, Felix retched for the tenth time. His stomach and throat muscles hurt from the effort and he felt exhausted. Looking up, his eyes caught the purple urine in the sample container and nearly puked again. 'It couldn't be real, there had to be a mistake,' were his first thoughts. His next ones were more accusing. "What have they done to me?"

Reaching down to cup at his stomach, Felix frowned. He knew something was in there. Now that he was conscious of it, there was no denying he was packing extra mass. Felix didn't know what to make of it.

He was pregnant.

Dumping the sample down the toilet, he flushed it and the puke. It was disgusting to him and he wanted no part of it any longer. Throwing the sample container in the trash, he washed his hands, face, and neck carefully to rid any excess. No one would know he was ill, or was with child as the case may be. If they knew, he would be dead, there was too much paranoia in the fleet for him to risk it.

After he wiped the back of his neck with a wet towel one last time, he dried his hands and face. He would be fine, he could survive this. Reaching in to the pocket of his smock, he pulled out the vial of his blood. He had taken it while Gaius was distracted and was now glad of it. After he unstoppered it, he dumped it in the sink and rinsed it out. He placed the empty vial in the trash halfway down to cover its presence.

A quick check of himself in the mirror, then Felix was out the hatch to get back to work.

Unnoticed by him, Dualla lowered her feet in her stall. Frowning, she tried to think who she should tell about Felix being sick. She hadn't seen what he was doing, but she heard enough to know he was violently ill. At the very least, Captain Apollo had to be told.

By the time Felix and Gaius emerged from the laboratory, they were stretching and yawning, and half starved. One look about the deserted halls and they were grateful. After hours of constant work, they cared very little for human company. By mutual agreement, they headed to the messhall for something to eat. Then they would stop off in Gaius' bunk to rest since he had a spare bed.

Stretching his back, Felix felt several of his joints pop. "Oh, that felt good."

"I completely agree." After his own stretch, Gaius plodded down the deck, taking the lead. For the first time, he didn't feel out of place on the Galactica. It was actually kind of peaceful, for a change. May be it was the lack of military uniforms in sight.

After they round a corner, Felix felt his peaceful malaise evaporate with the arrival of other people. There were dozens of crewmen in the messhall, more than he thought there should have been at that time of day. It wasn't fair. Ignoring the stares he received, he walked up to the chow line and grabbed a tray.

The looks didn't go unnoticed by Gaius. He had received his share of them weeks ago, but now they either ignored him or welcomed him. This was different, most were down right hostile, but all were aimed at his companion. Sticking close to Felix, he decided not to leave the man alone. These were fighters, who knew what kind of shit they would try.

One scowl at the serving staff from Felix stopped any and all actions. They quickly served him just to get him away. Taking his meal, he walked over to a table that quickly emptied and sat down. He didn't want their company anyways. Noisy gnats, they needed to be swatted.

Gaius took his lead and ate in relative silence. There were a few times he started to say something, but Felix's look kept him quiet. It wasn't worth alienating his only friend on the ship just to relieve the tension among morons. They finished together and he dumped his tray in the trash before returning it to the dishes. When he saw the staff toss their trays in the trash instead of the washer, he almost said something, but was beaten to the punch.

In a fit of anger, Felix picked up a clean tray and threw it like a disk at the man who was responsible. It caught him in the head and the man sank like a dead weight. Spinning on the instantly silent messhall, Felix grabbed another tray. "Anyone else want to frak with me?"

One marine started to rise, but the tray clipped him between the eyes and he fell back in his seat.

Felix had another tray up ready to take out the next brave soul. He was disappointed when everyone remained in their seats. His anger not abated, he brought the metal tray down on the edge of the washer counter, snapping it in half. Several people behind him slid their chairs back and flinched when he glared at them. "It's no wonder they won, you're all a bunch of cowards!"

"Better than a traitor!" The messhall grew even more quiet.

A smirk grew on Felix's face. "Whatever helps you sleep when you're alone, pissing your bunk in fear." Tossing the ragged edges of his tray in the trash, Felix stalked out of the messhall like he was the reigning champion.

Sullenly, Gaius followed after. They were going start glaring at him again either way, he might as well do something to earn this time.

For a while after, the messhall remained silent.

You Can't Go Home Again

Rubbing his forehead, Commander Adama read over the sensor report. So far all scans had turned up negative for Starbuck's crashed fighter. Now, to top it off, Lee's husband was causing a rukus on his ship. Certainly, it wasn't without provocation, but he had gone too far. Whatever it was that bothered him, there was no excuse for his sudden bouts of emotional outbursts. He would have to consult Doc Cottle to get a better diagnosis before he did anything about it.

Lee would object to whatever he did, that much he knew. That was one of the reasons he was waiting. His decision would be taken better through Lee than from anyone else. Another added benefit would be that Lee might actually have to face his mistakes head-on for once and take responsibility for them alone. He needed to refocus his world on his own mistakes.

Putting aside the report, he picked up Felix's personnel folder. He had updated it with information he had secretly obtained from the president's personal files. Whoever had assembled it was good enough to point in the general direction of where the bodies were buried. They had also ammended them to account for Felix's cylon involvement, and built upon that.

He would have to send the president a bottle of ambrosia for them.

There were hinted at personal motives that might or might not have led to blackmail on the part of the cylons. Obviously he was important to them, possibly enough to spare when the rest of humanity was wiped out. How and why weren't exactly clear. A single line gave him clue that the cylons needed him to work on their genetics. But for a synthetic being to exist in such a perfect replication of humanity negated anything he could think of. Not even what he had seen of the research could come close to their level of sophistication.

Then again, may be what they lacked was on a fundamental level. May be they were too advanced in their own design to realize where they went wrong. So, why were they trying to reproduce with the human models? He would think the human models would be the last ones they would try creating more of, since they obviously hated the originals so much. It was very confusing and unfortunately, given the circumstances, there was only one way to find out.

Gripping the metal pen between his fingers to keep from yelling, Felix refused to look at the commander. They were in his quarters and the commander was trying to interrogate him. "One question, and then I'll leave."

"One question, depending upon your answer, I will consider dismissing you." Watching the man over his desk, he reworded the question he had been formulating for the past half hour. It was a good distraction to keep his mind off the search, one that was too good. More than once he had completely forgotten about Kara. "You said the cylons were interested in reproduction. To what purpose?"

Sighing, Felix physically felt his relief. "They learned almost everything they are from us, right down to the basic principles of life. Self propagation is one of those. They can make more cylons, but everyone is just another clone of the original. To truly become a living being, their replication must produce a wholly unique offspring." Unthinking, his hand went to his gut.

Adama noticed the gesture, but thought nothing of it. "So what you are saying is that they suffer from a neurotic maternal instinct?" He couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Partially, yes. As for why they did what they did, sir, I can only guess. My understanding is that it was combination of events leading to the belief that we're too great a threat to keep alive. This mating instinct was just a symptom of their ever evolving sense of awareness. Preservation of the self becomes preservation of the species." Felix could tell from the annoyed look on the Commander's face what exactly he thought about a process Baltar had found fascinating.

"How far did they get in their...efforts?" He wasn't going to come right out and ask if he should be looking for baby cylons.

"I happen to know they got pretty far." Realizing he was stroking the front of his uniform, Felix tried to make it look like he was scratching his stomach then dropped the hand to his side. It was becoming a dangerous habit. If he kept up, they would soon become suspicious.

Fine, so he would ask. "Should I alert my XO to keep an eye out for red eyed babies?"

"Don't discount the theory as a joke, Commander. They may be closer than you think. Am I free to go?" Felix had to get out of there before he completely lost it.

Sitting back, Adama considered him for a moment before nodding. The young man was obviously hiding something. At least he hadn't exploded, then again, the bent metal pen in Felix's hand probably had a lot to do with that. Smiling as the younger man left, he felt a little better.

Hands shaking, Felix ran them through his freed hair. Heart racing, he tried to slow it down by taking deep breaths. All his actions were symptoms of an oncoming panic attack and he was desperately trying to avert it. His emotions were so clearly off the mark that he was actually started to get scared. Forcing his body to slow down, Felix admitted to himself he would need help. He couldn't take nine months of this.

Easing himself from against the bulkhead, Felix put back on his baret. After a second thought, he took it off then stuffed it in the pocket of his uniform. He didn't need any more distractions and a tight hat would prove just that. Ignoring the few looks he got as he walked, he moved determinedly towards the infirmary. Only one person he knew of could help get him through this.

"Fan-fraking-tastic." Dead pan monotone, that was his least favorite voice. In his initial shock, Cottle had dropped his cigar and the imaging wand. Having recovered the wand, he was sadly disappointed that the cigar was stomped on in his bumbling and thus irretrievable. Stilling himself, he glanced from the screen to Felix. "There is no doubt, young man, you are indeed pregnant. I certainly hope your husband is the father."

Feeling light headed, Felix began to giggle. It was frakking real. While he was unable to see the screen, he could tell from Cottle's reaction. Hands shaking, he reached out to knock the wand away from his gel covered stomach. It was still his body for a little while longer and he wanted some dignity. Sitting up, he pulled closed his shirt.

He became aware he had lost against the tears when Cottle handed him a cloth. Wiping off his face, then his stomach, he looked down. "What am I going to do? I'm not even sure this thing is human."

"A quick genetic panel should prove if the fetus is yours biologically. There are several options open to you at this point in development. The further along this thing grows, the higher your risk." For the most part, Cottle was going to treat this as if he was talking to one of his female patients. The alternative was just too damned mind boggling to contemplate at the moment. "You are under no obligation to carry it to full term."

"You can take it out of me?" Head shooting up in hope, Felix watched Cottle nod and felt himself relax. Opening his shirt again, he bared the slight swelling of flesh. "Get it out of me, now!"

"No way in hell. For starters, you're mentally unstable and likely facing a dangerous chemical imbalance. We have to diagnose such conditions and treat them before we can even begin considering you for surgery." Lighting up his spare, Cottle sucked on the cigar to get the sour taste of bile out of his throat. "You have enough medical training to know this. Get your head straight, then we'll discuss taking that bun out of your oven." Another thing he wasn't going to tell him was that he wasn't quite sure they could even do it safely considering the designers.

Felix took a moment to compose himself best he could. After, he rolled up his sleeve. "I suppose you might want to take another sample. After Baltar let slip what the contaminants in my blood were, I stole the sample he took and disposed of it."

"That might be a problem." As he inserted the needle and filled a vial with blood, Cottle shook his head. Things just weren't what they used to be. "Until we are sure you are settled, you are off active duty. If the rumors of your activities are true, you aren't taking this very well and I don't trust you with anything vital. If you want, I can give you a mild sedative to help keep you calm."

"I believe it is necessary. My emotions have become unstable and I..." Raising his head, he was determined not to let his emotions best him again. "I have become a threat to the crew and fleet. I will abide by your decision and agree with it. If you feel it is necessary, you have my permission to inform the Commander and the President, but not Lee. I mean, Captain Apollo."

"Sounds reasonable." Wiping off Felix's arm, Cottle pocketed the vial just in case Felix decided to dispose of the evidence again. "I'll take a look at this personally, there are too many gossips on this ship for security in this matter. When I get back, I will draw a blood sample from the fetus, that way we can confirm it's paternity. In the mean while, I'll have a nurse bring the sedative, you will let her inject it without hassle. So just lay back and get comfortable."

Quietly, Felix did as he was told. For safety reasons, he fought to feel nothing. There was no point in being angry, he had wanted this and needed it. By the time the nurse came around, he was ready to bite his own arm off.

Taking a step back from Kara to give her Nuggets a chance to talk with her, Lee looked around the infirmary for the first time since coming in. He noticed there was only one other occupied divider, and there was a lot of equipment around it. Curious, he walked slowly towards it as not to attract attention to himself. Ten feet away he recognized two of the voices, one belonged to Cottle, the other.

"The results are conclusive, the fetus is completely human." Closing the chart, Cottle felt like lighting up again, but the calm demeanor in his patient didn't unsettle him enough to require it. Besides, if Felix decided to keep it, then the baby would be harmed by it. "The only question now is, do you wish to keep it or shall I remove it? There are complications involved either way, but you are sufficiently strong enough that keeping the fetus won't kill you. That handy organ they gave you also helps."

Felix was silent a long time. Staring down at his still flat stomach, he could barely make out where the growth was occurring. It would only grow larger as the weeks passed. He had something inside of him, something alien and unknown. "What kind of changes can I expect to my body?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Given the hormonal imbalance, you might soften in certain areas. Your facial hair might stop production or increase. Your hips will certainly widen, there is no getting passed that." He had to bite his lips over the last one. "There is a good chance you might develop breasts if you elect not to take the hormone supplements."

Eyes narrowed, Felix kept his back straight. "I will take them daily." There was no way in hell he was allowing his body to transform so drastically. It was already bad enough he was keeping the brat. Felix stopped dead in his mental tracks. Sure enough, he realized the moment he heard it was human he was keeping it. "Is it a boy or girl?"

"Boy. If you want to know who the parents are, you will have to do that yourself. Genetics isn't my field of expertise." He smiled to Felix, hoping it was reassuring. Being kind wasn't normal, he was a doctor, he fixed people up, not hold their hands. "If you feel different at all, you be sure to tell me. The supplements I gave you should counter act anything. Be sure to take the Dramamine, it will cut the effects of nausea. Oh, and eat regularly, it will keep the emotional flare ups to a minimal."

"I'll do that." Still not looking up, Felix only saw Cottle's shadow disappear to know that he was gone. Sliding his hand over the harden flesh of his stomach, Felix tried to imagine what his son would look like. It wasn't hard to summon up the face of a boy with Lee's eyes. "What if you are his son? Will you leave me too?" Rolling on to his side, Felix curled around his pillow.

Outside the curtained area, Cottle caught sight of Lee. Glaring at him until he walked away, the older man bit down on his cigar. So much for keeping the Captain in the dark. Now that he knew, Cottle had to tell the Commander and President right away or risk problems. "Damned nosey little boys."

Entering the lab, Laura was glad to see that Gaius wasn't in at the moment. She came around the lab top and leaned against it next to the working Felix. Crossing her arms, she waited until he looked up from the microscope before speaking. "I hear you've been busy. I thought you were going to stay out of the infirmary, not move to the Galactica to be closer."

Bone tired, Felix nodded as he rubbed his eyes. He had hoped that Cottle would handle it, apparently he was going to have to deal with himself. Blinking, he stared up at her. "There have been a few changes."

"I thought that was implicit in the message." Despite her pleasant demeanor, she was angry. She had kept him on her staff for a reason. "Will this interfere with your duty?"

"As Inspector General, no. I am still going over the applications for the police. When I get settled in here, I will invite the prospective candidates here for training. I am sure you can agree, Galactica has the resources and equipment to train them best." He waited for her to nod before he continued. "As far as my other roles in your staff, I am afraid my use will be limited because of my condition."

"Well, if you tell me, I am sure we can figure out a way to keep you in some capacity." She watched him glance back to his lab equipment as it beeped. "Does it have anything to do with the tests you are running here?"

"Yes. Madam President, will you witness and notarize this for me?" Reaching under a clipboard next to him, he pulled out a white trifolded bundle of papers. Pulling it open, he handed it to her.

A quick scan of the top sheet let Laura know what was going on with them. She cast a serious expression to him. "Are you certain?"

"It's what he wants and I could never tell him no." Taking the papers back with a shaking hand, he put them on the lab top and signed them. Handing them to her, he let her sign them and initial her notarized print. After he folded them back up and placed them under the clip board once more, he walked over to the machine that had beeped. Taking the laminate print out, he smiled. "Here goes nothing." With a tense smile, he held up the DNA profile to the light so he could examine it.

Litmus

Feeling slightly distanced from his body, Felix watched people run down the corridors to find something. They were searching corridors and hatches, quickly discarding it all. Nothing seemed to catch their eye and he didn't care enough to ask what it was. Continuing down the corridor, he came around to stand in a junction. In an almost dreamlike state, he turned to glance up the corridor and was nearly run down by a staggering Tigh.

"Watch where you're going!" Walking up the corridor, Tigh continued on undeterred by another person. It took him a moment, but he thought he recognized the person. "Hey, don't I know you?"

Coming up to stand beside Felix, Commander Adama was intending to speak with the younger man, but Tigh's actions caught his attention.

"He's a cylon." Facing away from the person Tigh had nearly run down, Felix pierced Adama with his stare. Calmer than he knew he should be, he spoke in an even tone that belied the urgency of the situation. "He's come to destroy the Galactica."

As the words came from Felix's mouth, the cylon slowly turned to display his jacket of bombs. "Very good, Gaeta." Raising the detonator, he smiled wickedly. "Good bye."

Grabbing Felix by the shoulders, Adama threw them in to a side hatch. Half a second later the corridor erupted in flames.

Landing on his back jolted Felix from his stupor. Crying out in pain, he clutched at the nearest object to stabilize himself.

Said object being Adama, he winced in pain from the fall and Felix's grip on his arm. He tried not to let it show, but the grunt revealed his pain. "Are you all right?"

"No." Groaning, Felix laid his head back on he deck. All around him the world swirled until he felt sick. "I think I bruised something in the fall." When the world went black, his breathing evened out.

"Major?" Frowning, Adama tried to pat Felix's cheek. When he didn't get a response, he climbed to his feet. He had to get a damage report and make sure Felix was taken to the infirmary.

Head in a bandage, Felix took a deep breath, hoping his pain killers would kick in soon. "As the only member of the Inspector General's office, it should be me who interrogates the witnesses. Sargent Hadrian is not fit or of sufficient rank to conduct the interviews. Nor does she have any law back ground."

"She is the Master-At-Arms for the Galactica, her posts ensures she is qualified. That will have to be enough." Turning away from the protesting man, Adama rubbed at his own scratched up cheek. In the ensuing fire, several beams had become over heated and buckled. He had been clipped by one falling and was lucky to have kept his head.

"Fine, but I reserve the right to sit in on all of her interrogations." Felix raised his head, trying to display a defiance to the Commander, but ended up falling back against his desk, dizzy. There were days he hated being pregnant more than others, today was one of them. "As the last of the Civilian Authority, it is my duty, Commander, to ensure that all goes smoothly in military and civilian relations."

Having observed the major's reactions, Bill knew that he wasn't going to be able to completely fulfill that obligation. He decided to let him try any ways. "All right. You may sit in, but do not interfere unless the Tribunal specifically instructs you to."

"Aye, sir." Rubbing at his forehead and back separately, Felix groaned. His body's center of gravity was slowly changing to adapt, and he was fighting to keep up. "This baby is going to be the death of me." It took him several moments to realize what he said. Opening one eye, he stared up at the Commander in apprehension.

"So, am I to be a grand father?" He knew from the relief on the other man's face it was the right thing to ask.

"Um, I suppose it couldn't hurt. The results came back this morning before the incident. It's why I was wondering dazed." Felix scratched his back. "I don't know how they did it, but yes, the next generation of Adamas is on the way. Before you say anything, no, Lee does not know, and I plan on keeping it that way."

Jaw clenching, Adama closed his eyes. "You are going to need help..."

"I have it. Dr. Cottle is providing me with the best of care considering the circumstances. As for raising my son, Lee isn't exactly qualified in these matters. Besides," he stood up, "Lee has his own hands full. I hear he and Kara are almost inseparable these days."

And Adama couldn't tell him how much that upset him. They were his children, it felt wrong that they should be so close. "You are still married."

"Yeah. About that, let me end the suspense before it kills someone. Lee issued the proceedings for divorce to me and Priestess Elosha three days ago. Seems he couldn't wait until after Starbuck was found to settle things." Sighing, he headed for the hatch on the Commander's quarters. "I signed them this morning before I got the results. As far as the spirit of the law, I did not know this was his child, therefore he has no legal claim of guardianship. Good day, Commander."

Felix was shaken awake by a warm hand on his shoulder. Blinking bleerily in confusion at the person, he tried to remember where he was. It took a moment, but when he recalled, he frowned. "Are they done?"

"It is done." Having spent the past five minutes watching the sleeping man, Commander Adama finally came to a decision. "I should have tried harder to keep you out of this. You are not physically fit yet for strenuous activity."

"I was fine until the Sargent started to prance and parade about like she was a peacock, which made me want fried peahen. When I get hungry, my blood pressure drops and I pass out." Wiping at the dried drool on his chin, Felix stretched. His shoulder barely hurt thanks to the medicine he was on. "What all did I miss?"

"Crewman Socinus is confined to the brig for the next two months, and so is Sargent Hadrian." He almost didn't tell Felix that part. He instantly regretted it the moment he saw triumph in Felix's eyes. Before he could say something, Felix slumped back down to the table. "Lieutenant, make sure the Major gets to the mess and eats something before he withers away on my deck."

The marine saluted him before walking around the table to help Felix to his feet.

Six Degrees of Separation

Standing in the mirror, Felix checked out his girth from the side view. He couldn't actually see it per say, but he felt it. Today, his uniform jacket would not fit. As far as he was concerned, his life was officially over. Tossing the jacket aside in his private quarters aboard the Galactica, he sighed. "Good bye, Major Adama, hello, Inspector Mom."

Walking the corridors of the Galactica in a dress shirt he had borrowed from one of the larger passengers, Felix received more than a few odd stares. The only part of his uniform that still fit was the baret and he kept on wearing it. Out of necessity, he refused to have his uniforms altered. They didn't have the right material to do it for one thing, the other was he wanted to keep his uniforms in trust for after the baby.

His pants were an old stretch pair he had from his pack. He had retrieved them from Lee's quarters. That was one trip he refused to make again, his husband's... exhusband's quarters were a shrine to his past. Like father, like son, he guessed. At least Lee hadn't spaced his clothes while he lay unconscious in the infirmary.

Rounding the corner of the Command Deck, he came upon the CIC entrance and the marines who guarded it. He nodded at them in acknowledgement before waiting for the hatch to be opened. Felix mentally braced himself for a confrontation with his ex and his ex father in law before he stepped over the threshold. What he hadn't been prepared for was coming face to face with a cylon.

"...is a traitor, I have the proof!" Noticing she wasn't the center of attention any more, Shelly turned to see what they were looking at. A small smile twisted her lips. "Hello, Gaeta." Then she was on the deck, bleeding from a hole in her head.

Lowering the Marine guard's gun, Felix let him have it back and held up his hands. He tried to spit on the body, but was too far away. "Frakking bitch! Cylon whore! Tell them I'm coming for the rest of you too!" Shaking off the restraining arms of the marines, he glared at Six's body.

"Get him to the infirmary, quickly!"

Feeling his hands shake, Felix understood why the Commander had ordered it. As it was, he didn't make it two steps before he collapsed in to the nearest person's arms. Unfortunately, it wasn't a marine's. Glaring despite the fatigue, he tried to push Lee away from him. "Lemme go." His words slurred as his head fell back against Lee's shoulder. He really needed to learn to keep something sweet on hand.

Standing in the corner, eyes wide and pale, Gaius cast a glance to the presence hovering behind him. Six was still pissed at him, but she would get over it. "Well, I suppose, under the circumstances."

"You're free to go." Watching suspiciously, Roslin kept her reservations close at hand. She had been so close to believing the cylon a few seconds ago. It would have made a sick sense, but luckily for them, they had a trigger happy, hormonal madman running about. Speaking of which. Stopping by Adama on her way out, she whispered, "have Dr. Cottle increase his doses, this was too close for comfort."

"Agreed."

Flesh and Bone

Felix was fast asleep in his bunk when the handset rang. It was taking him a while to get used to the sound of it again. The last time he had been summoned by one had been years ago when he served on the Olympus. Rolling over, he rubbed at his eyes with one hand and picked up the handset with the other. "Adama."

"Major, the Commander and the President are requesting your presence in the wardroom immediately." The voice on the other end was young and female.

Felix knew it was the bookish comm officer just by her tone of voice. "Very well, tell them I will be there in five minutes." Hanging it up before she could reply, he sat up in bed. "This had better be good." Glancing down at his belly protruding from his night shirt, he frowned. He wasn't that big, yet every time he saw his stomach, it seemed to have grown. With a sound of disgust, he pulled on a dress shirt.

The wardroom was filled with people as he entered. Much to his consternation, his ex was the first person to notice his entrance. Ignoring Lee, Felix walked over to the Commander and President. Saluting her and him, he stood at attention. "What's the situation?"

Glancing up from the report in her hands, Roslin felt relief upon seeing Felix. "We have a cylon in our custody. He was caught three hours ago by the captain of the Geminon Traveler. The cylon was stowed away in the cargo hold. Our forces captured him, but not before he revealed there is a nuclear bomb planted some where in the fleet."

"Lieutenant Thrace has been interrogating him, but so far he has been unresponsive." Taking lead, Adama handed a folder to Felix. "Fifteen minutes ago he asked for you. Said he wouldn't talk again until he spoke with you."

Felix didn't like the accusation in Adama's voice, but decided to ignore it for now. "What kind of security do you have on him? If you don't have him restrained, you might as well space him now. I will refuse to speak to a cylon unless you can guarantee my safety."

"It's been taken care of. Kara will be in the room with a gun to his head just in case he tries something." Suppressing his natural instinct to snap at the young man, Adama leaned in close. "You and the baby will be as safe as possible. If we don't find that nuke soon, then I can't guarantee any thing."

Nodding, Felix read over what they knew so far in the report. "Understood, sir."

Stepping in to the interrogation chamber, Felix felt his stomach drop in to his feet. He had been expecting to see the smirking smart ass that was in the report. What he found instead was an almost jubilant expression on the cylon's face. "Hello, Mr. Conoy."

"Wonderful, God truly is magnificent!" Raising up his restrained wrists, he held out his hand, palm flat. "May I feel him?"

Casting a quick glance towards Kara and the marine, Felix felt his anger rise. If the cylon was trying to get himself killed, he was doing a fantastic job. "You will tell me where the bomb is and then you will be put out an air lock for our troubles. There will be no socializing, you will not attempt to struggle. The quality of your death from this point out is entirely up to you." Coming around the table, Felix set down a folder. "Now, where is the bomb?"

The humor drained from Leoben's face. Lowering his hands a little, he sat forward towards Felix. "Open your shirt and let me touch our miracle. God has chosen you, I would know his divine grace." This time, when he held up his hands, both of them were spread.

Closing his eyes, Felix unbuttoned the bottom three on his shirt and pulled the tails out of his pants. He ignored her as Kara cleared her throat in warning. Stepping in close, he flinched only a little under the gentle, probing touch.

Sliding his hands up over the swell of flesh, Leoben examined Felix's abdomen carefully. Tugging on his waist band, he pulled the man closer until he could press his ear to Felix's stomach. "His heart beat is strong. You are taking care of him and yourself."

"I am healthy, no thanks to your kind." He frowned as Leoben placed a kiss to his stomach. When he was released, he stepped back quickly. "Where is the bomb?"

Smiling rapturously, Leoben touched his cheek and lips. "There is no bomb. We would never endanger any of God's children."

"Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear." Striding in to the interrogation room, Roslin nodded to the guards that followed her. "This ends now, take him."

"I have a message for you." Rising from the chair as the guards man handled him, Leoben tried to reach Laura. "I have a message from God!"

"Hold a second." Laura stood with her arms at her sides, fingers twitching in amusement. "What?"

Leoben quickly wrapped her up in a hug, nuzzling her hair.

"Hold!" Laura had to raise her hands to keep the guards off.

Smiling at Felix as he leaned in to Laura's ear, Leoben whispered, "Adama's a cylon." Taking a step back, he allowed the guards to seize him once more.

Watching him with bitter amusement, Roslin crossed her arms. "Throw him out the air lock." She held up a hand to silence Kara's protest. "He is a weapon, created for the sole purpose of sowing distrust among the fleet. We have been scrambling about, searching for a weapon that doesn't exist. Our ships are spread so far apart we risk losing them if the cylons attacked. There is only one way to deal with a dangerous weapon, you get rid of it."

While Kara seemed ready to weep for the Leoben, Felix held his head high. It was the right thing to do. He stepped in close as the cylon was forced in to the air lock. Grabbing his hand when the guard turned him loose, Felix locked their fingers together. Taking the other, he pressed it to his stomach. After a moment, he nodded. Letting the confused cylon go, Felix stepped back and hit the air lock controls to seal it.

"Do it, Major." Laura watched with more than a little sadistic glee as the button was pressed and the cylon sucked in to space. Closing her eyes, she savored the moment. Two down, so many more to go before... it would never be enough. She was dying, and while she could, she would take as many of them with her. "I am ordering a gag to everyone here. No one is to know what was said in this interrogation chamber or here. If word of the Major's condition is leaked, heads will roll. Dismissed." Taking her own orders, Roslin stalked out of the hatchway and back towards the landing bay.

Felix didn't bother to look around, he knew they were looking at him. After buttoning his shirt, he tucked the tails back in his pants. He had hoped to escape before Kara woke up from her dazed expression, but she was quicker than he thought. Looking down at the hand on his arm, he shook it off.

"Daphne..." She didn't know what to say, didn't have time to think before he was gone. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Lee was going to love this.

Taking her glasses off as Gaius entered her office, Laura smiled. "Thank you for coming, Doctor Baltar. I understand you are busy, but this will only take a moment of your time."

"Of course." He felt like throwing up. The looks she had been giving him since Shelly Godfried appeared made him nervous each time they were alone. "What can I do for you, Madam President?"

"I want you to build a cylon detector. One that isn't based upon Felix Adama's research." Sitting back in her chair, she studied him for a reaction.

Gaius wiped at his face. Why was she asking this of him now? "May I ask why?"

"I have reason to suspect his findings." She gestured to a folder on her desk. "Shelly Godfried held only two of the trace samples in her cellular make-up that he proved were cylon indicators. Either they are perfecting their process, or he isn't as right as he has lead us to believe. Both are disturbing to me and I require a more concrete method. Do you think you can handle that?"

Ignoring the Six that traced a hand down the side of his chair, Gaius nodded. "I'll certainly give it my best."

Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down

Despite the words of the president to the contrary, Felix knew that someone had blabbed. People every where were giving him strange looks. Most of them were borderline hostile. Only a few of them were sympathetic, of those, none were men. Upon opening his quarters the second day after the interrogation, he found the room decked out in pink and blue ribbons and chrome baby booties.

Finger prints revealed who the culprits were. When he was finished talking with them, they had turned themselves in for disciplinary actions. If there had been a choice, Felix would have left the fleet. Wherever he went, there was no relief from the faces.

Not even Gaius was immune to the constant gossip. For the first half hour of their work that day, the other man had watched him in utter fascination. Finally, unable to take it any more, Felix had picked up the microscope and thrown it at the other man, missing him on purpose. After he heard the other man crash to the deck in an attempt to duck under, Felix grabbed his coat and took off.

Felix hadn't been aware of where he was going, just that he had to do something. Life on Galactica was too stifling for an oddity like himself. As his vision became blurry, he wiped at it and came away wet. He ignored the tears, it was just another symptom of his pregnancy. Finally, he came upon what felt like the right place.

He was at a hatch. Spinning the handle, he pulled it open and went inside. He slammed it shut behind him, throwing the bolt in place. His actions spooked the two people on the bunk. It took Felix several blinks to understand what he was seeing. Without a single word spoken, he unlocked the hatch, opened it, and walked out.

"Major, what do you think you are doing?"

He was adrift among the stars. It was peaceful, so vast and unassuming. There were so many of the, so beautiful. They out numbered even the people in colonies. Ever since he could remember, Felix had been a part of the stars, where everyone else had been apart from them. He had been born and raised among them, he would die among them.

"Mr. Adama, come in. Return at once."

Tears would come out here for a while. They would freeze on his face, but they still flowed none the less. For so long all he knew was the cold of space. When he was a boy, they had let him float among them when he cried. Children of the stars had no use for tears.

"Felix. What did you expect? It was over... I don't mean that. I'm sorry."

He was a child of the stars. He came from them, he was part of them, they were made of the same things. In his own way, he too glowed brilliantly. They had named him after the brightest star in the night sky. Part of the stars.

He was one of them.

"Felix, think about this! What about...him?" Lee's voice. For once since it started, he sounded concerned about him.

Not for him, for who he was with.

Looking behind him, Felix saw no one. To his left there was no one as well. He was alone in the Raptor. Reaching down to the controls, he powered up the FTL drive.

"Come out, Mr Gaeta! Do you hear me? Turn the alarms off and come out of there. Technicians are working..."

Activating the drive cut off the Commander's voice.

The Hand of God

Awakening from yet another dream where he flew away, Felix sighed, disappointed. He was still in his cabin aboard the Galactica. Felix glanced at the chronometer on the wall. The time and date had changed since he last saw it, but he didn't care. He had disabled the handset, intercomm, and the siren to give him a measure of peace. The double set of locks on the door kept even the most determined of visitors out. A private bath, his own personal food stores, and a warm bed meant he didn't have to go out.

Rolling over, Felix hunkered down in his bunk and went back to sleep.

Colonial Day

There was an excitement in the air as he walked the decks. People were too busy wrapped up in their own lives to give him notice. Apparently something had happened that distracted them from his existence. It was good, he preferred it that way.

A passing couple said something about visiting Cloud Nine after their shift was over. He couldn't tell what that was, but apparently it meant something to them. May be it was one of the ships in the fleet. If it was being frequented by the crew, then it must have been a recreational vessel before the fall. He would have to stay away, someone would inevitably recognize him and most assuredly attack him. Not, it was by far better trying to stay invisible on the Galactica.

Finally, he came upon the lab. Opening the hatch, he entered. The lights were still bright, the machines still running. He picked up a smock from the coat rack and draped it over his protruding stomach. It had been month since he had been out of his quarters and already he was no longer able to hide it. Yet another reason he wished to avoid human contact.

The main reason he had come out of his quarters, his medicine had run out. He needed to check his blood to see if a change in his medicine was required or was the same dosage enough? For that, he had to work in the lab.

Turning, what he had thought was an empty lab turned out to have a gawking Gaius Baltar. Following the man's gaze down, Felix saw his stomach was protruding through his smock. "Is there a problem, Dr. Baltar?"

Shaking his head, Gaius refocused his attention on the other man's face. "Sorry, you're just... I've never had to deal with a man in your delicate state."

"I am far from delicate." It made him a little testy, but other wise, Felix didn't feel much different. May be the mood swings were gone. Pulling on a pair of gloves after he washed his hands, he walked over to his old lab top. He shuffled through the supplies until he found a needle and vial kit. As he took his own blood sample, Felix began to scan the lab. There were thousands of samples in the freezers at the back of the lab. "The whole fleet finally consent to being tested?"

"No, it was a mandatory order from the president. Some times I wished she had just left it alone. But, one of the perks of being vice president, I can tell her that and she has to listen now." Humming to himself, Gaius went back to checking the blood sample in his machine. It was now complete, but the damned thing took two hours longer than the old process.

"Congratulations on the promotion." After he wiped away at the puncture with a sterile cloth, Felix went about testing the sample. He was startled when Gaius appeared at his side. "Something I can help you with?"

"I was just wondering if I... could touch it?" Holding out his hand hopefully, he was surprised when Gaeta nodded. He tentatively slid his hand over the cloth covered stomach, tracing out each detail. "Amazing, absolutely remarkable. I never thought it was possible, a man carrying a child. Don't take this the wrong way, but I find the idea of you pregnant appealing."

"Funny, I find it mind numbingly terrifying." Taking Gaius' hand off his stomach when it became uncomfortable, Felix pulled his lab coat to cover it. "I'm certain now that I must have done something in a past life to anger the gods."

"Perhaps if you made a sacrifice in the temple of Diana. I hear they have one established in Cloud Nine." Gaius squeezed his hand shut, savoring the remembered feeling of the warm cloth under his fingers. He had to shift to prevent certain reactions from being noticed by his colleague. Deciding to focus on something else to take his mind off it, he was about to ask why Felix had hidden for a month when he remembered. "Have you thought of baby names yet?"

"Actually, Gaius, I would just rather get this done so I can get back to my cabin." Pressing a needle injector in to the blood vial, Felix took a small sample from it. Emptying the injector in to a prepared solution, he threw the injector in the trash and carried the solution tray to a sorting machine.

"Right, I completely understand. It must be extremely stressful just coming out of your room." Waiting until Felix had his back turned, Gaius snatched the injector out of the trash and pocketed it. "Well, I'll let you get back to work, I have so much of it myself."

Felix introduced the solution in to the sorting machine and turned it on without acknowledging Gaius.

In the end, it turned out all he needed was a refill on two medicines and to quit taking the mood altering drugs. He had developed a high tolerance for it while his system reset for the hormones. His own food stores needed to be replenished with healthier alternatives, but he waited until middle of third shift before doing that. There were few people around while he raided a storage locker, signed the form, and carried his booty away.

Felix wasn't one to take something for nothing, so he had run the blood samples for Cottle to check for anomalies while running his. Ten people needed to cut fatty foods from their diets, one person was pregnant, (other than him), and twenty people shared the same strand of bacterial infection. Everyone was having sex but him.

For a while, as he watched Gaius sweat over his work and bend over to retrieve fallen papers, he had been tempted to take the man up on his offer. He might have done it right there in the lab. Only one thing stopped him. Sample X-33-A was for one Gaius Baltar, and had a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. Considering the man's reputation, he had either got it from someone, or had been the original carrier. Either way, he had spread it around.

That thought had shut down any idea of frakking one Gaius Baltar.

Cleaning his clothes in the refresher in his quarters, Felix began to read over Dailies that had been left in the pilot's rec. room. He had over a month of information to catch up on. Apparently his ex had been successful at a Tylium run battle. The one he was screwing finally healed up from her broken leg. They were both pictured dancing together at the Fifty-Second Colonial Day Celebrations. Also, apparently print and wireless media had been restored.

Gleefully shredding his ex's picture, Felix used it in a sculpture he was building from paper mache. It would hold because he was using old oil from the deck hatches as glue. The sculpture was in the shape of a man, a man with very large balls. He topped it off with a crown of Chamalla leaves and pilot's wings. When it had dried, he opened up the disposal shoot and dropped it in for the incinerator.

Let Athena chew on that.

Scattered

The constant knocking on his door finally awakened him. Realizing they weren't going to stop and go away, Felix pulled on a pair of black boxer shorts as he climbed out of bed. It was all he was going to wear for whoever it was. Let them stare at his belly, he didn't care. Throwing the bolts off, he turned the handle and opened the hatch. "What?"

The Petty Officer on the other side saluted him and thrust a dark blue uniform in to his hands. "Major Adama, Colonel Tigh requests your presence in CIC immediately. Action Stations have been called, we are under Alert One Status. Commander Adama has been shot and we need all the senior officers at their duties." Stepping back, she saluted again and walked off.

Stunned, Felix examined the uniform, it was a standard officer's uniform, but it looked to have been adjusted for expansion for his growing bulk. The rank insignia on the collar were for a Colonial Military Major. If Adama had been shot, then the Colonel must have been desperate to call on him. Figuring it might be worth a moment of his time even if it was a hoax, he closed the hatch to get ready.

Upon entering the CIC, Felix found it in complete disarray. Too many people talking at the same time and the Colonel was no where to be found. "Who's in charge here?"

Popping up from the Dradis console, Lieutenant Hanlon glared at Felix. "I am."

"That is I am, sir! And you're relieved of Command, dumb, stupid frak!" Striding in to the CIC behind Felix, Tigh was putting the finishing touches on his uniform. Despite the change and quick shower, his nails still held traces of blood under them. "Glad you decided to join us, Major. The whole fleet goes to hell in a hand basket while you were off sulking in your quarters, real nice."

"Good to be here." He let the sarcasm speak for itself. Walking to the Command Console with Tigh, Felix studied the charts on it. "What's the Sit Rep?"

"Two Raptors down on the planet with the remains of a baseship in orbit. One cylon transport confirmed on the planet before our Raptors went down." Staring at the blood stains on the star charts, Tigh's fist clenched. "Boomer decided to reveal she was a cylon by putting a couple rounds in the old man's chest. He's in the infirmary, but Cottle is in the fleet. We can't get him back because we jumped one way to avoid cylons, and the fleet took a different route thanks to our wonderful, top of his class Tactical Officer!"

If the situation wasn't so grim, Felix would have gloated over his former classmate. "Anything else?"

"The president sent Starbuck off on a wild goose chase, so the old man threw her in the brig. You'll like this next part." Grinning maliciously, Tigh flicked the drying blood off a map. "Your ex decided to throw in his lot with the school teacher and turned on his own team. He's cooling his heels in the brig with her."

"Good place for him." Shuffling through the star charts, Felix checked for the most recent ones. "We'll need to jump back to the last coordinates the fleet and Galactica were joined together at so we can predict their location."

"We can't, there are two basestars waiting for us." He started to say more, but the dradis console squeaked and went out. "Damn it, Hanlon, get that thing fixed!"

"I am trying!" At the scowl, Hanlon grit his teeth. "Sorry, sir, right away, sir."

"Then we will simply have to make the jump computer faster. By networking the jump computer, navigation, life support, and dradis, it will have enough computational power to cut the time down to just a few minutes." Felix found himself the center of shocked and angry gazes. "It will have to be done if you want to save Commander Adama's life. We can purge the system later and reboot the memory core with the old prewar backups."

Tigh considered it for a moment. The old man would never have liked it, but then again, this wasn't his decision. "Tell all batteries to make ready. I want the pilots prepped to defend us, just in case. Fire suppression and response teams in suits and on every corridor. We are going in hot, people!" Turning back to Felix, he gave him a shrewd smile. "How long do you need?"

"If you get that fool out of my way, an hour at most. Once we jump, the system will take it from there." Already on the move, Felix tore the face plates off several control panels. Grabbing a petty officer at a console, he pushed him towards the door. "I need connectors, cables, and a level seven kit!"

"Sir, I don't know what to look for or where." Flinching at Felix's look, he backed up a step.

"Level Seven Kits are kept in the science lab, they are marked in bright red and yellow. They say 'Level Seven', now go!" Shaking his head as he tore off another face plate, Felix began checking the connectors for active ends. "What the hell have they been teaching them at the academy?"

"I've been asking the same thing myself." Chuckling, Tigh came over to watch as Felix began to unhooking the controls and joining the wires to the next. When the dradis sparked and came back on, he knew he had made the right decision in bringing the Major in to it.

Resistance

Exhausted, Felix nearly had to drag himself along the wall as he entered the brig. Luckily, he had enough strength to straighten up and adjust his uniform. Walking slowly in to the room, he kept his chin up, refusing to look down. The sight of his exhusband on a bunk was the first thing that greeted him. He turned quickly to the other cell so he could see the president.

Laura looked a little dazed, but other wise okay. Hearing the foot steps stop in front of her cell, she glanced up from her book. Upon seeing Felix, she smiled warmly. "Felix, how are you?"

"Dying slowly a day at a time." Clutching the bars for support, he eased his belly against them to take some of the strain off his back. "The baby grows quickly. Cottle thinks in two months it will be safe to take him out. Less if necessary." Behind him, he heard the guard's breath catch, but ignored him.

"Two months. It's been so long since I last seen you." Shakily, she rose to her feet. Her glasses started to slip, so she took them off and laid them on her book. "I don't claim to understand what kept you away, but I empathize. It can't be easy to go through this alone." Her tone held rebuke for the man in the next cage, but he gave no sign of having heard. "How is Commander Adama?"

"Doing well, but he has yet to wake up. He should very soon." His words slightly slurred, Felix began to slump against the bars. He had to catch himself before he fell completely forward. "I am sorry, Madam President, I don't think I can continue our conversation. He started for the door, but hit the deck before he made two paces, landing on his ass. Grunting, he frowned. "I don't feel so good."

"Major?" The marine lowered his gun then completely let it go as he scrambled to catch Felix as he slumped forwards. Easing the moaning man flat on his back, the marine pulled his legs out from under him. "Gently, Major, just let go."

Nodding, Felix closed his eyes and went completely limp.

"Lieutenant, what's happening?" Concerned, Laura damned the bars for preventing her from going to Felix's side.

"Exhaustion, ma'am. My sister went through... He's over taxed himself the past couple days." After he made sure Felix was comfortable, the Marine walked over to the handset on the wall and picked it up. "Send a medteam to the brig, Major Adama is unconscious and requires assistance."

Silently on his bunk, Lee kept his eyes shut, blocking out the world.

"You're exhausted. I don't know how many ways I can say it, get your ass back to bed at a decent hour and sleep the full night away! That's an order this time, Major!" Slamming the clipboard down on the bed, Cottle stomped away. If these damned fool patients wanted to end their own lives, it wasn't his problem.

Sitting up on the gurney, Felix threw the examination gown off. With the extra weight, he took it slowly out of fear of falling. The trip off the gurney was an entirely different matter. Jumping off, he had to stagger a bit to keep his balance. Glaring down at his belly, he silently wished the little creature inside would hurry up and finish gestating already.

All his thoughts aside, he had a job to do. A night in the infirmary had made him ready for his duty again. He was certain that Colonel Tigh was chewing the consoles in the CIC waiting for him to get there. The mental image of it was amusing to him as he pulled on his uniform. After carefully buttoning it up over his stomach, he came around the next curtained off area. He gave the Commander a quick glance over then left.

Felix was halfway to the hatch when his stomach gave a slight thump. Stopping in shock, he glanced down. It happened again. Despite a sudden thought that he had lost his mind, the front of his uniform bulged for a moment. He had to bite down on his sudden urge to scream bloody murder. Quickly, he unbuttoned the front of his uniform and jerked the shirt out of his pants to stare at his stomach. Sheer stupidity seemed to well up in him when he uttered, "it's trying to get out."

Skin darkening in an instant blush, he put his shirt down and walked out, mortified at the thought someone had heard. He knew the baby wasn't trying to get out, it was just an attempt to develop muscles. Still, the fear lingered, he had seen those Hero Baby horror movies just like everyone else. The thought of a half god, half human baby being so powerful it tore out of its mother's womb made his pulse suddenly faint.

Shuddering, he continued along the corridors until he came to the CIC. For once, the command center was quiet as people cast nervous glances his way. Stepping in to the line of fire, he caught Tigh's attention. "Major Adama reporting for duty."

"At least someone of your generation understands what that means!" Slamming a clipboard down, Tigh handed a sheet of paper off to Felix. "I want you to ensure these ships begin producing supplies immediately, use whatever means you deem necessary. I've already sent in a detachment of marines to a few. Also, get that police farce off this ship, I don't want any more damned civilians taking up valuable space." In anticipation of Felix's response, he held up a hand. "If you are worried about deployment, get them to begin searching the fleet for the President and her traitor boy toy. Seems someone let them off the ship last night while you were in the infirmary getting your beauty sleep."

Felix followed Tigh's gaze along the CIC towards the communications officer. He couldn't recall her name, but he remembered her lingering about. She liked to watch his ex. Jealous anger made him want to snap at her, but it was unprofessional. "Aye, sir. They will be gone within the hour. I will set them to work over seeing the distribution of supplies. If that fails, do I have your permission to use the marines?"

"Do whatever you have to. If supplies run out because some uppity civilian takes it in their head to stand for some crap, we always have a prison ship." Grinning, Tigh enjoyed the fearful looks the crew gave him. "You have Command, Major. I'll be in my quarters trying to get some sleep. I am only to be disturbed if cylons attack or the old man wakes up. All else, I trust you can handle."

Saluting the Colonel, Felix stood at attention until he left. The moment the hatch closed behind the older man, the room seemed to come back to life. Chatter started up again and lights lit up across the boards. Felix glanced down at the paper with a sigh. More than a third of the fleet was listed on it. In his mind, he reordered things to priority and stalked over to the comm officer.

He didn't look directly at her as he spoke, but made sure all heard his words. "Petty Officer, I want a comm sent across the wireless to all ships. We acknowledge their right to protest, but the cessation of supplies is not an exercise in civil disobedience, but a blatant lawless act. We are deploying the Civilian Police Force to assure that supplies continue to flow. The president is a rogue and the civil government has been contested by military authority. Those aiding in her flight from justice are outlaws themselves and face penalties, this includes Captain Lee Adama. Until these issues are resolved, all will comply with these direct orders. Signed: Civilian Authority and Military Adjunct, Inspector General Major Felix Adama."

Turning away from her, Felix walked around the command console to stare directly at Lieutenant Hanlon. "Get down to the civilian barracks, I want the Police Force suited up and ready for mobilization in thirty minutes. No complaints." He looked to the petty officer next to the Lieutenant. "Comm the flight deck, we have a full police battalion readying for deployment. I want a dozen Raptors fueled up and armed in fourty-five minutes. Set the Battlestar to Alert Status Two, tell the captain of the marines I want them on standby just in case."

By the time he finished speaking, the CIC was alive with people talking and moving for a different reason than before. If they thought him a pushover, he was going to prove to them just how far pushing got with him.

The Farm

Felix's eyes were heavy and perspiration had soaked through his undershirt by the time his twelve hour shift drew to a close. He was looking forward to a hot shower and a decent meal beyond the rations he'd had during his quick midday meal. So far, twenty ships of the thirty-eight had complied with his orders. Of the remaining eighteen, only four continued to outright contest his authority. Several times he had come close to ordering a ship fired upon, but instead, had vindictively listened as the police arrested the captain.

So far, he had five people imprisoned aboard the Astral Queen. Well, forcefully relocated was more apt. He knew that Zarek saw to them as if honored guests. To ensure that the ships remained open, he ordered the police to leave an escort aboard them. He was fast running out of men and the other fourteen ships that seemed willing to work with him had begun to ignore his summons. If something didn't happen soon, the fleet would tear itself apart.

"Petty Officer Dualla, I want a report from the CAG, ASAP. Lieutenant Hanlon, prepare a report on the tactical situation of the fleet. Petty Officer," he had to pause and rub his eyes. His head ache was starting back up again. "Petty Officer Nephtys, prepare ship's duty roster for inspection. Petty Officer Dualla, comm Sargent Hadrian, she's to report ship's discipline for Colonel Tigh in fifteen minutes."

As he finished giving out orders, Felix leaned against the command console. Ten more minutes and he would be free to go back to his quarters. Once there, he could slip out of the chaffing uniform and in to a hot shower. He could spend the next hour eating something and then he would be out like a light. When a hush descended upon the CIC, Felix raised his head.

Walking in to the CIC, Commander Adama acknowledged the applause from his crew with a smile. Slowly, he scanned the crew's faces. At the center of his sweep, his gaze landed upon Felix. For a moment, he hesitated, then continued his sweep of his people. Continuing his journey, he came to the command console. Much to his surprise, Felix saluted him. "Major Gaeta?"

"Adama, sir. I kept my married name." Lowering his arm, Felix nodded to the Colonel in acknowledgement. "Command is now yours, sir." Picking up the ship's log book, he handed it to Commander Adama. "It's good to see you up and about, sir."

"And you too, I mean that." He put a hand on Felix's shoulder, the one that had been shot. He understood the pain the other man had been in, let him know that. His gut still burned from the memory of the bullets. "How is my grand son?"

"Kicking. The little... he has been practicing for a marathon all day." Felix smiled. It felt surprisingly good to talk about it. Catching the Commander eyeing the swelled front of his uniform, he looked up and cleared his throat. Reaching out, he grabbed the older man's hand and placed it over where the fetus was kicking.

Bill's expression went neutral for a minute, then slowly melted to one of amusement. "He's strong."

"And active." Catching Tigh's slightly green appearance, Felix grinned. So his pregnancy made the older man ill? "Would you care to feel, Colonel?"

"No! I, uh, no." Backing up a step, Tigh shook his head. "Looks like you've been working hard, Major. Why don't you go take a shower, get something to eat."

"Aye, sir." Saluting, Felix waited until the Commander's hand dropped from his stomach before he stepped carefully around them and slowly walked to the hatch. He had noticed earlier that anything faster than a sedate pace turned in to a waddle.

Bill couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched the younger man go. It felt right, some how, that his grand child would be born on a battlestar, his battlestar. Glancing down at the log entries, he was impressed by the concise wording and writing. Minor details like the attitudes of certain crew members were written down along side reports of near combat situations. Twelve hours of events was right there in black and white. "You said he has been working in here since I was... shot?"

"Yes. Surprisingly, my gamble paid off. He does his job, doesn't cause trouble, and is quick to end any that pops up." Cast a quick glance to the eaves dropping Lieutenant, Tigh turned so he couldn't be over heard. "I hate to say Negala was right, but I agree, you made the wrong decision three years ago."

"May be you're right." Adama didn't have to look up to know Hanlon was listening in on a conversation he wasn't privy too, again. The younger man had made a habit of getting in to other's business for no other reason than he was nosey. "Keep him on as the third shift Watch Officer. If he handles that, we will see about getting something more permanent established."

Home

Clutching the console, Felix closed his eyes and fought the urge to throw up. He hated this part. All around him he heard the power drain as the Galactica's FTL drives came online. There was the sheering feeling followed by the heavy fall in his gut as they emerged from the jump. Gasping, he was glad he managed to hold his dinner in.

He looked around him to see if anyone else had the same reaction and was mad to find it was just him. Everyone else seemed to be more excited about the jump than anything else. They were reuniting the fleet once more, going to retrieve their fellows, of course they were happy. Felix's stomach did a flip over that idea alone. Of course, having his kid kicking him towards his stomach didn't help that much either.

Hand over his mouth, he ran for the upper deck disposal hatch. He barely got it open before the contents of his stomach came up. After he finished retching, he wiped his mouth with a report he took from the person standing behind him. He tossed it in the incinerator shoot and let the hatch close. Turning around, he found everyone looking at him, even the Commander, who was busy trying not to smile.

Straightening his uniform and appearance, Felix walked back to the dradis console with as much dignity as he could muster. "Commander Adama, we have successfully complete our jump to Kobol. All ships accounted for, including the fourty-three who jumped with the president."

"Very good. Colonel Tigh, the ship is yours." Nodding to the marine behind him, Adama started to lead the way out of the CIC, but Felix met him at the hatch. "Major?"

"Sir, if you would, take this to the Captain." Felix pulled out an envelope from his uniform. Handing it to Adama, Felix made sure the name was clearly visible. "He will know what it means."

Accepting it, Adama nodded. "I will see you when we return. Don't give the Colonel any trouble."

"I'll try, sir." Stepping back, Felix let him pass and the marine guards. He watched them, wishing he could go down, but knew he wasn't physically up for the trek. Despite his yearning, he had another life to think about now.

Felix knew that life was to be different when the ground party returned, but sitting on the deck, a hand to his mouth, he hadn't expected that. Too stunned to feel the pain, he could only stare up at Lee in curiosity. He saw Starbuck off to the side, her eyes refusing to look at him. Beside her, Adama and the President, both looking pissed. He couldn't tell with whom they were mad at, but in the next moment he couldn't think to care.

Pain shot out from his stomach to his back, up his spine and down through his legs. Falling forward to clutch at his stomach, he sucked in a breath, eyes wide. All else was forgotten in the spasming of his muscles. Crying out, his skin flushed and his vision blurred. Something inside him felt torn and with each beat of his heart grew worse.

He was on his back, eyes wide in shock. Gasping for breath, he couldn't see so he tried to reach out for something to hold on to. His hands encountered something warm and soft, so he clutched at it desperately. Abruptly, he lost all sense of the world around him and he faded away.

Gloves already off, Cottle pulled off surgical cap and mask. Walking over to the clothes bin, he tossed them in then removed his surgical gown and apron. Bone tired, he walked over to the plastic incubator and gently tapped on the tank. When the tiny bundle inside moved, he nodded to the nurse to take him away.

Stepping out of the surgical area, he entered the infirmary proper. Waiting for him were the President, Bill Adama, Lee Adama, and two marines holding Lee. Stopping directly in front of Lee, Cottle lit a cigar, took a puff then blew the smoke directly in his face. "You're damned lucky I'm a good surgeon, little boy."

Laura let out a sigh of relief. She had lost enough people today. Before she knew it, she was leaning on Adama, letting him hold her. "How is the baby?"

"The boy weighs four pounds, five ounces. His lungs aren't finished developing, but with proper treatment and care, his chances are good." Alternating between anger and sympathy, Cottle chose the former and blew another puff at Lee. "Get him the hell out of my infirmary!"

"I want to see my son. I have the right." Lee kept his tone low and firm. He didn't want to provoke the older man, but he wasn't going to back down from this.

"I don't think I gave you the option, little boy. I won't have violent children endangering my patients." Cottle jerked his chin towards the exit. Much to his satisfaction, the marines complied. While Lee was dragged from the infirmary demanding to see his son, Cottle turned to Adama and Roslin. "The Major will require at least two weeks to recover. I had to remove the womb and a few of the muscles, he might move awkward for a while, but he should make a full recovery. Had this happened on another ship in the fleet, he would be dead."

Jaw clenched, Adama nodded once. "I'll handle him. Ensure that both father and child survive."

"I'll do my best. Just keep us out of trouble, and their chances are excellent." With another puff, Cottle walked away.

Final Cut

Lee bounced off the wall of his cell and hit the ground. Favoring his left shoulder, he wiped the blood from his split lip. He cast a quick look to his father standing over him and shook his head. "No more, please."

"Are you sure? You don't want to go another round, prove how much of a man you are?" Knuckles split, Adama shook his hand to take out the sting. Having hit Lee with it in the face twice, it was starting to swell and go numb. "I thought you had more in you than that."

"I'm sorry, Dad." Hanging his head, Lee forced himself to keep down. He had already lost, but his own anger refused to be broken. There was no contest, he hadn't stood a chance despite his attempt to take his father on.

"What's the matter, Lee? I thought you were a man, you proved it to Felix, why not me?" When his son just sat there, Bill took a deep breath. "Pathetic." Nursing his hand, Adama stepped out of the cell, leaving the door open.

The beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the curtained area. Lee had been watching his exhusband sleep for the past thirty minutes. In all that time, he had tried a dozen times in a dozen different ways to wake Felix up and apologize. All was for not, however, since he couldn't make his mouth open to say anything. Walking around the end of the bed, he decided whatever there was to say, it could wait.

Tears came to his eyes at the sight of the massive bruise covering the lower half of Felix's face. He really had done it. Bending over, he paused just above the sore flesh. Lee wanted to make it disappear, but there would never come the time again. In the end, he pressed a gentle kiss to the bruised skin.

As strong arms encircled his neck, Lee closed his eyes and let them bring him down further. To get closer, he climbed on to the gurney with Felix, draping an arm over his hip. Mindful of the stitching in Felix's gut, Lee helped to ease his ex on his side. "I love you, Felix. I'm sorry for everything, there's no excuse for it all. It's just, for so long I was angry and you were convenient. I never meant for any of it to happen, hurting you, the divorce, even Kara. All that was one mistake after another."

Placing a hand over Lee's own bruised lips, Felix shook his head. "Shut up and go to sleep. The baby will be up in an hour and it's your turn to feed him."

Stunned, Lee nodded. Watching as Felix went back to sleep, he watched him for the next hour. After that, he had his hands full with the squalling infant.

From the entrance of the infirmary, a reporter caught the entire thing on film.

Flight of the Pheonix

Circling the frame of the ship, Felix examined it. He longed to run his fingers over the steel supports, but the bundle in his arms prevented any contact. Rocking the baby, his baby, Felix cast a longing look at the crew working on it, but kept on going. The deck was no place for a baby boy. Barely a month old, he was hardly bigger than when he was born, but his weight had vastly improved.

Lycilus Adama. He still couldn't believe the name that Lee had picked out. His son was named Lyle as far as anyone else was concerned, he made sure of that. Lyle didn't like to be set down for any amount of time unless he was asleep. Cottle had told Felix it was part of being born premature, the baby would be insecure and needy for at least the first year. Having been married to Lee for two years, Felix knew he could handle the same qualities in a baby.

In his arms, Lyle started to make a fuss, his breathing hitching and fists clenching. Felix shook his head in patient amusement. Lyle was hungry and was about to let the entire fleet know that. Picking up his pace, he moved towards the pilots' berth. After side stepping a running Hotdog and Kat, Felix began to wonder what it was this time.

Finally, he came to the senior pilots' bunks and kicked the hatch door three times. He didn't have to wait long.

Opening the door while tasseling her hair, Kara looked at him for a moment, before stepping back. A guilty expression on her face quickly turned sour. "He's still in the shower."

"That's okay, I'll wait. Lyle is hungry anyways." Shrugging off the leather duffle from his shoulder, Felix handed Lyle to Kara. He enjoyed the way she squirmed, trying to hold the baby as far from her as possible and not drop him at the same time. Quickly, he took a bottle with baby nutritional formula from the side pouch and walked in to the pilot's bath. While he filled it with water from the tap, he cast a glance in to the showers. He almost over filled it while oogling his ex.

Putting the cap back on the bottle, he shook it and tested it on the skin of his arm. Satisfied it wouldn't upset Lyle, he carried it back in to the bunks. Despite his amusement, he took pity on Kara and retrieved the baby from her arms. Cuddling the baby, he slid the nipple smoothly between Lyle's gums and watched him begin sucking.

The baby had retained the blue eyes from his birth, making something clear to Felix, his family carried the trait. While other people wouldn't have cared, he was surprised. He knew nothing about his family. Lyle had his hair, but the skin and complexion were pure Adama. Felix was overjoyed to see Lyle had his nose and brow, not that he told Lee. Caressing one of the now chubby cheeks, Felix felt a moment of peace.

Coming in upon this scene, Lee had to artfully drape his towel and quickly turn away to hide his reaction. Seeing Felix holding their son made him happy, really happy. Pulling on a pair of boxer briefs and his shorts, he turned around to face Felix. "Has he had a nap yet?"

"No. He's been a fuss pot all day. That means he should sleep most of the night. If you go to bed when he does, you should get a few hours of sleep." Standing up, Felix reluctantly handed over their son to Lee. He didn't completely let go, even though his ex took the bottle. "I heard they are almost through proofing your quarters for Lyle. He needs to get used to sleeping in his own bed."

"So?" Lee knew what he was saying, but he wasn't going to admit it.

"So, you need to start putting him in the crib. Lyle can't sleep in your bed forever, Lee, it isn't healthy for him." Felix foisted the leather duffle on to Lee's shoulders. "I know how much he means to you, but Lyle needs you to be a parent." Brushing a kiss to the top of his son's head, Felix leaned over and brushed his lips to Lee's. "I love you, take care, both of you."

Walking out, he replayed it in his mind. It had been a reflex action, kissing Lee. He didn't mean to do it, but he wanted to do it, so he did. Closing the hatch behind him, he left the stunned silence behind him.

Pegasus

For over a month, Felix had avoided the prison cell they had specially built for the cylon named Boomer. To be honest, for two of those weeks, he had been laid up in the infirmary. He never wanted to see the inside of one of those places again. For the past two and a half weeks, though, he had no excuse but his own reluctance to face the occupant. Now that he was there, he could no longer ignore the fact they had a living, breathing cylon among them.

What's more, she was pregnant.

He had timed it so he only had another half hour before his duty shift before coming to visit the cylon, Sharon. The fact his duty shift started two hours before midnight made the less likely chance she would be awake. He stayed to the shadows outside her cage for as long as he dared, but then ventured forward. He had to see her and the high walls prevented him from that since she was laying down.

As he drew closer, the top of her head appeared above the partition. He stopped, but the damage was already done. She stood up and looked out of the Plexiglass windows on her cell. In the dim light, he could make out her features. She was looking around hopefully.

Swallowing, Felix came in to the light. The smile that covered her features made his chest feel heavy. Walking to her cage, he picked up the handset and put it to his ear. She reciprocated his gesture. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Hello, Sharon."

"Hello, Gaeta." She put her hand to the glass. Her smile grew as he did the same. "We've missed you."

"God has been busy, I hear." He looked down to her stomach, the bulge already visible under her white tank top.

"Thanks to your help, I am going to be a mother." Cupping her belly, she smiled down at it wistfully. "It's a girl."

"You seem proud." The words came out choked. Tears started at the corners of his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. There was no time for them. What was done was done. "Why did they do it?"

Sighing, Sharon looked up from her hands to stare at him. For a time she considered his question. Any response she gave him would most likely hurt him, so that only left the truth. "Many reasons. But above all else, it was a gift. God worked through you, we wished to express how grateful we were."

"You were testing it out. I told Six it would work, she should just have trusted me." He grew silent. There were so many reasons to yell or scream, but he didn't want it to happen. "As far as I am concerned, the cylons have earned their deaths. What they did made them no better than the humans."

Sharon lowered the handset, watching him through the glass. After a time, she raised it again. "There are those among the unity that agree with you. It was uncalled for. But then, we meet like this, and are reminded just what we really are."

"If the Leoben was correct, then I truly am the hand of God. Nothing I do is without his reason. If I bring an end to the cylon race, then it was his will." He stopped at her expression. "Sorry, it's just something that has been bothering me for a while. I have been very angry over what happened to me for a long time. Roslin believes I need to express myself more openly in a healthy manner."

"Your president should take her own advice." Scowling, Sharon rubbed at her stomach. The woman had almost thrown her out an airlock just because of what she was, she had little patience for her.

"What, you don't think tossing people out of airlocks is a healthy expression of anger?" His laugh was forced. Rubbing at his arms from an imagined frost, he shivered. "There are a lot of worse people out there to have for president, and only twelve of them are cylons."

Sharon was about to say something, but the alarms groaned for Alert Status. "Looks like you've got something to do."

"I'm the watch officer in a few minutes, so I guess I had better go." He rubbed at the glass towards her hand once more, then let go. "Good bye, Sharon."

"Come back soon, Gaeta." She watched him hang up and leave, feeling conflicted. She wanted to be out there with them, knew what it was like to serve aboard the Galactica from her other self's memories. On the other hand, she didn't really want to even be there on the ship at all.

Entering the CIC, Felix looked in askance to Colonel Tigh. "Situation?"

"We have a ship picked up on Dradis, it has a Colonial Transponder. Confirm it!" Watching the Dradis screens above him, Tigh gestured for Felix to take the tactical console.

Felix nodded as he raced across the room. Without his son taking up space in his body, Felix found himself moving faster and with greater agility. Taking the seat the Petty Officer had vacated, Felix called up the information from the ship. "Sir, I am confirming a Colonial signature."

"Sir!" Dualla drew attention to herself by standing up. "It's the Pegasus. She's wants to speak with Galactica Actual."

His uniform half done up, Adama walked from the entrance hatch to the Comm console and held out his hand. Taking the headset from Dualla, he slipped it on. "This is Commander Adama, to whom am I speaking?"

"Commander Adama, you're voice is a balm for sore ears. This is Admiral Helena Cain, how the hell have you been?" Her voice contained laughter and suppressed emotions.

Taking off his glasses, Adama looked around at the expectant face all around him. "I've been better. And yourself?"

"Couldn't be happier. Put me on over head." She waited for the signal to confirm her order. "On behalf of the BattleStar Pegasus and my crew I say, welcome back to the Colonial Fleet, BattleStar Galactica."

At the sound of her voice, something in Felix snapped. Clutching his head against the sudden blinding pain, he sagged against his console. When it had passed, he raised his head to see that no one had noticed his actions as they were too busy shouting and cheering. Easing away the signs of previous distress, he plastered on a smile.

Nervous anticipation rippled through the crowded deck as the Admiral's Raptor was dragged by the trolley to a docking position in front of the assembled crew. As the hatch opened and two marines stepped out, people held their breaths. A major and a Colonel stepped out next to stand at the base of the ramp. Finally, Admiral Cain stood up from the passenger seat of the Raptor.

Standing in the hatch of the Raptor, she surveyed the gathering of crew, personnel, and civilians with a cool appraisal. Settling her gaze upon Adama, the Colonel at his right, and the woman on his left, she stepped out of the Raptor and in to the hangar. At the base of the ramp, she held out her hand to him. "Commander Adama."

Taking her hand, Adama shook it twice before gesturing to his right. "Admiral Cain, may I present Colonel Tigh, my XO." He watched as they shook hands before turning to Laura. "And the president of the Twelve Colonies, Laura Roslin."

Surprised, Cain raised her eyebrows. "The secretary of Education?"

"That post has been filled by another now." Laura noted the hand shake snub and filed it away for later. "Welcome back to the colonies, Admiral. We are excited to be reunited with you and your crew once more."

"I'm sure." Turning back to Commander Adama, Cain held her hands at her side in anticipation. "I would like to see your log books as soon as possible. Also, your crew roster and munitions inventory, there is something we need to discuss soon."

"Of course, I will have Major Adama assemble those immediately." He was about to lead her away, but she stopped him by a hand on his arm.

"Major Adama? A little Nepotism among the ranks?" Her tone was teasing, but her expression made her opinion on the matter clear.

Adama glanced over his shoulder and gestured to Felix. "May I present, Major Felix Adama, my Second Officer."

Cain had been about to sneer her way towards the Commander's son, but when she heard his name, she looked at him in surprise. "How in the hell did you survive..."

"Surprise, Admiral." Pulling the trigger, Felix grinned. Twice, three times, then she was flying backwards, her chest exploding in blood. He had emptied the clip in to her before anyone could move.

Chaos erupted on the deck. In the next breath, Felix was tackled from four different directions.

Epiphanies

"I've run the tests forty times, Admiral, each time the same conclusion." Setting down the large stack of test results, Gaius returned Adama's glare. "Felix Adama is human. There is absolutely no biological way he could be a cylon."

"Then why did he kill Admiral Cain?" Exhausted from the previous week's events and her own battle with cancer drawing to a close, Laura leaned heavily against her aide. Not even her glasses could be born under the conditions. "We have to know why, I want to know why."

"Before he shot her, Cain was asking how he survived." Setting the test results down, Adama left it open. "It is obvious they knew each other. Also, that she expected him to have died. From what we knew of her command, it is easy to assume she had a hand in his supposed death."

"Revenge?" Laura considered it for a moment. Chuckling, she shuddered as it turned in to a coughing fit. "Find out what, Admiral. Give me that."

Standing up, Adama nodded. It pained him to see her looking so frail.

Felix eyed Admiral Adama with a smirk as he entered the cell. His bruised face had returned to its normal size, but was still discolored. The smirk hurt, but he refused to let it go. "What can I do for you, Admiral?"

"The president is dying." Adama didn't look up, he didn't have to know the effect the news had on Felix. Instead, he picked up a chair and turned it to face Felix. Taking the seat, he adjusted his uniform to make it comfortable. "She has a final request, she wants the truth. The whole truth."

"Is that an order, sir?" It wasn't a challenge, just a question from him.

"Yes, I believe it is." He wasn't expecting much, but there was still the hope the other man would answer.

Sitting back, Felix nodded. It was time. He was going to be executed for his crimes, there was no questioning that. This way someone would know, she deserved that much. "Very well."

The lights were too bright for her to keep her eyes open very far or for very long. When she opened them for what felt like the hundredth time, Laura saw something she hadn't been expecting to see. Her eyes filled with tears as he smiled down upon her. "Felix."

Taking her hand, Felix sat down on the stool beside her. He stroked her arm to comfort her. He had considered being genial and asking the usual pleasantries, but the first sight of her took all that way. There wasn't time for them. "You had the choice of so many things, yet you wanted the truth. For what little comfort it could possibly give, here it is." Felix paused long enough to take a breath before continuing. "Three years ago, I died."

"What?" Chest heavy, Roslin found it hard to gather breath to speak.

"I never finished telling you about my service in the Fleet Intelligence Corp. My last handler was Admiral Helena Cain. I went on one last mission because she forced me to. I wanted nothing more than to retire and live with Lee. He seemed like the best future I could hope for. Someone who cared, was around only long enough to keep in contact, and best of all, Lee hated the limelight his name caused to the point he became a social recluse. Over time, I eventually came to love him, but that was later."

He stopped speaking, letting go of her hand less he hurt her from his own remembered frustration. "After I completed the mission for Cain, she seemed to accept my resignation. It wasn't until I reached the hangar deck aboard the Pegasus that I found her response. Two marines marched me to a Raptor. They took me to an area of space just on the Armistice Line, it was a place conveniently where no patrol would find me. They opened the hatch and kicked me out. I didn't have a flight suit on."

"The cylons?" The question cost her a gasping fit.

"I don't know how or how long, but yes." He looked away from her, refusing to let her see his expression. "People think death in space is quick, almost painless. It probably took ten, fifteen seconds, but I do remember it was the most excruciating feeling." Shaking it off, he cleared his throat. "Some point during my time among them, they showed me the fleet. Countless basestars and raiders. Ships I have no name for. All of it was there in orbit of a world with black beeches and a red moon."

"Must..have been...terrifying." Coughing, she reached out and touched his shoulder.

"It was, but the real scary part happened when I came back." Facing her again, he let her see his tear stained cheeks. "No one believed me. It was the Chamalla the drug runners gave me. I remember it now, that was how the cylons smuggled me back to Caprica. For six months I tried to prove they existed, I even warned Admiral Metahart, head of Fleet Intelligence. In reward, she took my husband from me. After he was reassigned to the Demeter, a model Six came to me. She told me if I put my skills to use, they would ensure my husband survived.

"I owed them, and at the time of the offer, I was willing to do almost any thing to get Lee back." His hand shook until he forced it closed and down in to his lap. "They didn't destroy the Demeter, it was a ploy by a branch of the admiralty to start a war with the cylons. The cylons found out, and they gave me his location. He was supposed to die out there along with the rest of his crew, victims of a cylon attack." Voice flat, he held her stare. "I gave them everything I had on reproductive technology. To tell you the truth, I would do it again in a heart beat. Remember, I told you, anything for Lee."

"They..." she gasped, "manipulated you."

"Oh, I know. You see, my son is a part of their actions. They used me as a test animal. One day I will see to it that I thank them for him." Reaching out, he stroked the sweat dampened hair from her face. After capturing her hand, he kissed the palm. "Adama loves you, and Lee loves Adama. Your death would cause too many problems. So, you see, I can't let you do it. To that end, my knowledge of the cylons has given me an advantage others lack." Stepping back, he stood aside to let Baltar come in close. "Do it, Gaius."

Frowning at being ordered around, Baltar nodded. Turning to the dazed woman, Gaius smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "This will hurt, but when you wake up, you'll thank me." Putting the needle in her IV line, he pressed the injector.

THE END...


	6. New Caprica

Title: New Caprica

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 1789

Prompt:

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe

Summary: Tragedy befalls the refuge for the people of the twelve colonies.

Author's Note: The Occupation Comes.

"Vice President Zarek has expressed his desire to join the Quorum delegation this weekend in your place, sir." Pulling out the briefing information, Dualla designated the papers in to two stacks, one if he agreed, one if he didn't. She held no delusions that he would not agree. His wave made her put the disagree stack in the shredder. Baltar never attended political functions.

Not even bothering to look up from his dog pile of whores and blankets, Baltar smoked the cigarette in peace. Sipsy, or was it Ingly, held the ash tray for him. Her dark painted nails reminded him of the punishment of failure to reach the ash tray with his cigarette. But she was his favorite, so he kept the cigarette on course.

"Former President Roslin wishes to address the Quorum about better schooling for the children. This is the third time she has made the request. If you do not respond, sir, she will automatically be granted an audience." Hair in a tight bun, Dualla twisted it one more time each day than the previous day just to keep the pain fresh. It gave her an edge over her emotions. She needed all the tacts she could muster in order to deal with this bastard and not kill him. When he ignored her, she checked it off on her list.

Laura Roslin would get her meeting.

Saving the best for last, she couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "The Inspector General has filed notice of intent for your office, sir, the Quorum voted to allow. We have until this afternoon before the police raid Colonial One." It had been a long time coming, let the bastard deal with this on his own.

"Let them come, there is nothing here to hide." Waving her off, he sucked the last of his cigarette to the nub and put it out. "God, why in the colonies did that bitch Roslin have to pardon him? Sure, it ruined her chances of reelection, but what good does that do me now?" Chucking the chin of another nameless girl, he let her roll over and sleep again. "Does no one listen to me any more?"

Life was ever more painful for him since they had come to new Caprica. At the time he had thought it a grand idea. Then the newness had worn off and people started complaining, refusing to work. Not even the Marines scared them any more. They wanted instant results and no one had any stomach for hardship. "Morons, everyone of them."

"I will be sure to inform them of your opinion, Mr. President." Entering the cabin, Felix took in the squalid environment with an air of disgust. There really was no excuse for this kind of lifestyle. "I've decided to drop in early, just to ensure you didn't do anything before hand. You are notorious for getting out of binds, Gaius."

"Has anyone told you, you sound like a cylon?" Groaning, Gaius pulled a dozing body over his chest to keep the angry gaze from him. For months the other man had been trying unsuccessfully to catch him at something. "What you are doing is harassment, Felix."

"You should never have frakked her, until then, I was perfectly content to let you ruin yourself." Shoving one of the prostitutes from a bench, Felix used a rag to wipe the seat down before taking it. Who knew what kind of diseases the people who slept with Baltar had? "Her marriage would have gotten her off my back, and my husband wouldn't be following that bitch around like a dog after a scent."

"That's quite a vocabulary. You've been spending too much time around those police of yours. I disapprove." Gaius knew that Felix wouldn't let him be. A quick glance to seek his aide said she was gone and would be no help. Not that she ever was. Why had he taken her on? Oh yeah, she was once a good frak. "What's done is done, there is nothing we can do to change that."

"Correction, removing you from office will start to change things." Before Felix could continue on their old tirade, he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Dualla in the control department.

Slightly pale, Dualla held up a printout. "Galactica and the Fleet, sir. They've detected cylons, an entire armada, and have fled. They've found us." Holding out the printout to Felix, she ignored Gaius' attempts to get out from under his suddenly alert whores. "They left us here!"

Outside the ship, the sounds of ultrasonic engines screamed over head. The sun blotted out quickly and returned as they passed above them.

Felix looked to Gaius in anger as he let the readout drop. Rising from his bench, his fingers itched to draw the weapon. He wanted so badly to kill Gaius right there, he knew the man had something to do with their discovery. While he couldn't prove it, he at least could convict him for landing them on the rock in the first place.

Finally free, Gaius rose to his feet. "Summon my staff!"

Less than five minutes later, Felix stood at the corner of Gaius' desk, the people behind him seeming to use him as a shield. They stood united behind Gaius, despite the fact that none of them really counted on him to save them. That was why he chose the corner, he wasn't going to look to anyone but himself for support.

When the hall at the front of the office suddenly flashed brilliantly white, Felix felt a familiar sensation run through him and shivered. He knew what was waiting for him down there. This time, he did not hesitate to draw his weapon. He wasn't disappointed to see that it was an Eight that walked in first.

Catching sight of Felix, Boomer froze on the spot. "It's you."

"Lower the weapon, Gaeta, we mean you no harm." Coming around Boomer, Caprica Six slowly walked in to view. Her hands up where he could see them, she smiled sadly at him. "He said you were here, I didn't believe him."

"Who said I was here?" Switching his aim from Six to Boomer, Felix itched to pull the trigger. The longer they looked at him, the more the familiar sensation increased. Taking a one handed aim directly at Boomer, Felix snarled. "Who said I was here?"

"I did." Smiling wide, Leoben cocked his head to the side as he examined Felix. "Beautiful, god was right in choosing you to work his will through. He has returned you to us once more, Gaeta. There is so much work you have left to accomplish." His smile slipped when Gaius cleared his throat. Turning to the older man, he frowned. "What do you want?"

"A more accurate question, what do you want?" Feeling bold, Gaius stood up and pulled down his suit. He could tell from the way the Six continued to stare at him unwaveringly, that she was his beautiful Natasi. "What do you want?"

"From you, nothing." Walking up to Felix, Leoben reached out a hand and trailed it along the side of his face. "We have everything we came for."

"I won't go back." Eyes misting up, Felix closed his eyes. Moving quickly, he turned the gun on himself. He didn't expect them to let him do it, but he had to try. When the gun was wrenched from his hand, he let it go unresisting.

Leoben clapped a hand upon Felix's shoulder. "Time to go home, Gaeta."

"What of the others?" Felix really meant his family, not the colonists.

"Their fate is in god's hands."

"I don't know." Biting her lip, Sharon kept her fear to herself.

Lee was restrained from going near Sharon by four Marines. Snarling, he lunged against their grip, but was held fast. "What do they want? I swear to the gods, I will tear you apart one circuit at a time until I find out!"

Holding her daughter close to her chest, Sharon refused to look at Lee. She tried to shush her, but Hear was determined to let everyone know she was scared. It wasn't until Helo forced her to meet his gaze that she nodded. "There isn't..." She flinched when Lee screamed at her again. "I can only think of one thing they would want him for."

"What?" His voice was horse from yelling, making it deeper than normal. Lee longed to reach his hands out and strangle her. The moment they had sent a Raptor back and found the cylons had abandoned the colony to fend for itself, Lee had ordered the Pegasus back. For three days they had searched the rapidly evacuating colony to no avail for his husband. He and Gaius were the only ones missing. It wasn't until Dualla had gotten a message through the chaos to Lee he found out what happened. That had led to the current situation.

"Gaeta was their original hope of reproductive technology. If they haven't been able to duplicate Hear with another model, obtaining him to figure out why would be logical." Sharon took comfort in the warmth of her daughter in her arms and Helo holding her close. She couldn't imagine what the others of her kind must have been feeling. Life with Helo and Hear was worth the sacrifice of her own people. "As for why they abandoned the colony, may be he made a deal. It wouldn't be the first time."

"My husband is not a traitor!" Lee's shout caused Hear to scream louder.

Angry now, Sharon handed her daughter over to Helo. She stalked up to Lee to glare in his face. "You don't know everything, Commander! Gaeta made a deal with the Sixes for your life. If he hadn't, you would be dead."

"You're lying." Lee felt a hand on his shoulder and tried to shrug it off. When the grip only strengthened, he turned a murderous expression to the owner and found his father. "Why are you letting her get away with this? She knows where they took him and why. We have to get him back!"

"Commander Adama, Lee." Laura stood off to Adama's side, her own expression grim. "She's telling the truth. The Demeter..."

"Has nothing..." Her words sank in. Thinking back, Lee recalled how Felix had come out of no where and rescued him. Closing his eyes, he sagged in the Marines' hold. "What am I going to tell Lyle?"

"That his daddy loved him very much." Turning away, Sharon let her heart harden against Lee's pained moan. Walking up to Helo, she took back Hear and led him away. There was nothing more she could do for them.

THE END...


	7. Epilog

Title: Epilog

Author: Lopaka Tanu

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica.

Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble

Wordcount: 567

Prompt:

Fandom: Battlestar Galactica

Pairing: Gaeta/Lee

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe

Summary: The people of the twelve colonies come home.

Author's Note: The final part.

Watching the dradis screen, Felix felt his gut settle in to place after the FTL jump. He confirmed the last of the colonial ships made the jump with them against the Galactica's scanners. Twelve years of action made him proficient with the Pegasus' equipment. Glancing up from the tactical console, he looked across the CIC to his eldest son. Lyle was barely able to stick his head over the communication's console.

He glanced back down at the console when an alert vied for his attention. He frowned and reran the sweep. "Commander, I am detecting multiple dradis contacts. We're are in a system with nine planets with multiple satellites artificial and natural."

Lee glanced to his husband, the scar down the left side of his cheek making the smile on his lips only half form. He was about to ask for a radiological scan when Lyle squeaked. "Report, Private!"

"Signals, sir! We are receiving multiple contacts over the wireless from the third planet and it's satellite." Taking off his handset, Lyle handed it to Lieutenant Beru. He was relieved to be free of what sounded like a thousand voices calling over the wireless.

"Confirmed, sir." Adjusting the filtration on the wireless, Beru cut it down to just a couple voices. Frowning, he cut it down to just one voice. "I don't understand the language, sir, but I can definitely tell you it isn't cylon."

Swallowing, Lee slowly walked up to the comm. "Contact the Galactica, see what Lieutenant Dualla makes of this."

"Aye, sir." Switching channels, Beru signaled the Galactica. "What do you make of these signals?"

Holding a hand to her own headset, Dualla watched the Admiral and Colonel Tigh with trepidation. "I am transmitting the lingual code on all frequencies."

"The Lieutenant has transmitted the basic lingual code, sir." Beru glanced up from his console to see the entire CIC watching him with growing excitement. A high pitched whine filled the wireless, forcing Beru to take off his headset and wince. As sudden as it started, the signal cut. What began to follow made Beru switch it to the overhead.

"Life here began out there. In the golden age, man and the god alike, lived in harmony on Kobol. For a time, there was no death, no suffering. Then came an end. War and plague ravaged the world and the Gods rose in to the heavens to guide man away. In grief as their children went out among the heavens, Athena threw herself from atop the highest point. The leaders of the thirteen tribes, sacrificed to the Gods and were lain to rest in her tomb forever to be watched over by her. The Arrow of Apollo was left with the children of the Lords of Kobol to guide them in hopes of one day reuniting them."

Taking a heaving breath, Dualla blinked back tears. She saw she wasn't alone. Several people were holding hands, even President Roslin. "The signal came from the third planet, sir. It isn't part of the signals we were receiving before. Many of those have stopped. I've tracked the power source. It's from an ancient colonial device similar to those found on Kobol."

Silence reined on both battlestars.

"Sir, I am receiving a new communication from the third planet. They are speaking Basic." Beru clicked the voice to the overhead.

"Greetings to you. On behalf of humanity, welcome to Earth."

...THE END


End file.
